Civil Liberties And Civil Rights

Civil rights and civil liberties have great similarities. Both civil rights and civil liberties include policies that protect the equality and freedom of people from government officials. However, the two terms have great differences. Two main differences between civil rights and liberties exist. One difference includes the origin of the policies. They also protect from different things. Although they have differences, civil rights and liberties have great importance to the citizens of the United States.

The difference between civil liberties and civil rights are, civil liberties are freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The liberties are “freedom of speech, religious expression, and press, as well as due process of the Fourteenth Amendment.” (Bianco, Canon 2011, p 153) Civil liberties limit what the government can do to you. An example is “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” (Bianco, Canon 2011, p 153) Civil liberties are about people’s freedoms. Civil rights protect against discrimination from both by the government and individuals. civil rights are about equal rights. “In contrast, civil rights protect all persons from

Civil liberties are basic freedoms granted to individuals in the Bill of Rights. Individual freedom can survive only under a system of law by which both the supreme and the governed are bound. Such a system of fundamental laws, Civil rights are constitutional guarantees, which mean they are granted to individuals with the body of the Constitution in the form of amendments. Many civil rights were granted after the Constitution was written, but civil liberties were included in the Constitution since their adoption in the Bill of Rights in 1791.

Overall, the main difference is that Civil Liberties deals with unalienable rights and Civil Rights defends people 's equality.

Webster defines civil liberty as a freedom from arbitrary governmental interference specifically by denial of governmental power, and in the United States especially as guaranteed by the bill of rights. Civil liberties are the basic rights, and freedoms that are due to every American citizen. More than often, civil liberties and civil rights are often used synonymously, but those terms are very distinct. A civil rights violation happens during designated situations where a person is discriminated against based on physical characteristics. However, civil liberties deal with basic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed within the Bill of Rights and U.S constitution, inferred over the years by courts, and legislatures. Although, there are many liberties outlined within the United States constitution freedom of speech will be expounded upon.

1 Civil Rights Vs. Civil Liberties As a citizen of the United States, one is granted many protections under law. 2 These protections consist of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Varying based on the person, these rights are very valuable and ensure that an individual free of harm for certain situations. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties have evolved over the years as our country continues to further its development. They allow for the diminishing of injustice and a sense of security when it comes to the law system. The importance of Civil Rights and Liberties may not be very well known to all, but continue to play a role in every citizen’s

Civil Rights In the U.S. most use the terms Civil Liberties and Civil Rights interchangeably; although they both protect the freedom of citizens they do this in different ways. 2 Civil Liberties are limitations placed on the government. These are things the government is restricted to do, by the constitution. Things that could interfere with personal freedom. 3 For example, the 1st amendment says that no law can be made establishing a set religion. (Course, 2015) Therefore no laws can be made pertaining to a set religion. Civil liberties can be seen as broader laws, placed against the government. 2 Whereas Civil Rights are almost like curbs

Civil liberties are defined as rights given to individuals that cannot be taken away because they are protected within the constitution. Some of these rights include the freedom of speech and religion. Civil liberties are rights that are guaranteed to American citizens and no one in the government is able to take these away. Civil liberties are essential to Americans because they protect against unfair treatment from the government and provide Americans with the security their freedoms will remain intact. Whereas, civil rights is defined as rights that should be given towards political and social freedom. This helps protect people of different races, genders, or sexual orientation against harm or unlawful treatment. Civil rights are important because they give people, who are mocked or not given fair circumstances, more rights that allow them to be equal citizens.

1. 2 Define Civil Liberties; then define Civil Rights. How are they similar? How do they differ? Which civil sequence has more influence on your life as you know it to be now? Why do you believe this to be so?

For centuries, the success of a democratic society has been measured by its commitment to equality, a resounding principle central to our nation’s founding. The Enlightenment-inspired language of the Declaration of Independence, namely the age-old axiom that “all men are created equal,” pervades our perception of the American creed. However, nearly a century passed before the Lockean principles espoused in the Declaration of Independence began to bear the force of law. Entitling American citizens to due process and equal protection of the law, the Fourteenth Amendment, perhaps the most transformative Amendment of all, has inspired the steady progression of American society. Nonetheless, while the Amendment serves as the chief legal force behind the democratic goal of equality, questions regarding its achievement of that goal

According to Patterson, “The Constitution’s failure to enumerate individual freedoms led to demands for the Bill of Rights. These first 10 amendments to the Constitution list a set of rights that the federal government is obliged to protect” (Patterson, 94). In the Bill of Rights, civil liberties specify the individual’s rights like freedom of speech, the right to a fair court trial, and other rights, which is protected by the government. 3 Patterson says, “Civil rights are a question of whether individual members of differing groups, such as racial, gender, and ethnic groups, are treated

To understand civil liberties, one must first understand why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Civil liberties include balancing interests. There has to be a balance between a citizen’s freedom, the government interests, and public safety (Bianco & Canon, 2015, p. 107). Along with balancing interests came drawing lines and defining the limits of acceptable conduct by the government or an individual citizen in the context of a specific civil liberty (Bianco & Canon, 2015, p. 108). Although the courts outline the limitations of our civil liberties, often times, other branches of government and the public get involved. There were early concerns of the public as to how our civil liberties would be defined (Bianco & Canon, 2015, p.109). As stated in American Politics Today, there were only limited protections outlined in the original Constitution, such as protection against illegal incarceration (Bianco & Canon, 2015, p. 109). States were adamant about individuals requiring protection from the federal government. The fight for the Bill of Rights was not necessarily an easy one. Because the Bill of Rights only applied to the national government, another amendment was submitted that also required states to also uphold civil liberties (Bianco & Canon, 2015, p. 109). This was denied by congress as the Bill of Rights was to make the national government stronger. Unfortunately, the Bill of Rights had a minor

Definitions Civil liberties refer to the fundamental freedoms and rights that are secured by the constitution, or the Bill of Rights. They also refer to safeguards against the authority actions. For instance, the First Amendment assures citizens the freedom to exercise their preferred religion (Patterson, 2014). Therefore, the government cannot hamper the rights of an individual to worship. In this respect, the individual has liberty from government’s activities.

A way you can spot the difference from civil liberties and civil rights is by looking at what right has been affected, who’s right has been affected. For example, an employer is not obligated to give out promotions, due to the fact that promotions are not guaranteed civil liberty. But if a female was denied for a promotion simply because she is a female you have the legal right to be free from discrimination for being considered for the promotion.

One easy way to differentiate civil rights and civil liberties is to recognize civil liberties as the protection of our rights from any type of government interference. Similarly, Civil rights are rights through which there is no discrimination in people on any basis like race, sex, religion. The best example to differentiate civil rights and civil liberties would be same sex marriage. Right to get married comes under civil liberty whereas marring with same sex or different sex is a civil right of an individual.