What Is The Difference Between 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.

There is a difference between civil liberties and civil rights in relation to the government. Civil liberties refer to an individual’s unalienable freedoms that cannot be taken away by political intervention. On the other hand, civil rights are provided by the government in order to promote equality. This ideology was introduced to the founders of the nation by John Locke, who believed in natural rights. Locke stated that these natural rights are to be protected and secured by the government. The question that should be raised now is whether the government truly does protect our civil rights and have the citizens’ best interest in mind.

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

1 McGahey 3 Megan McGahey Sherry Sharifian GOVT 2305 71430 20 September 2017 Civil Liberties vs.

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.

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

2 Similarities and Differences Civil liberties and civil rights are similar because they are granted to the citizens according to the constitution. In this regard, the civil rights and civil liberties ensure that all people are equal before the law, and are defended from government’s activities, which are contrary to the law (Patterson, 2014). The major difference between the civil rights and civil liberties is the purpose they are intended to serve. Precisely, civil liberties are designed to protect the ordinary citizen from abuse of power by the government. They safeguard the rights of the people such as the right to vote or marriage rights. On the contrary, civil rights are envisioned to protect persons from harassment and discrimination regarding issues such as ethnicity, gender, and race. Therefore, they are free from any form of unfair treatment or discrimination (Patterson, 2014). For instance, the US Constitution under the Fourteenth Amendment assures all Americans rights and equality Civil rights have a huge influence in my life because they ensure that all persons in the country are treated equally regardless of

Civil liberties and civil rights are very commonly used statements, which can be carelessly misused. Both statements are similar to some degree, but do hold different meanings. These statements may seem exactly the same, but by true definitions, the difference between both is unmistakable. Civil liberties are the protections against government actions. Civil rights, however, is positive actions of government should take to create equal conditions for all Americans.

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.

Civil liberties are the individual freedoms we have that are protected by the Bill of Rights. They are clearly listed in the Constitution and are the guaranteed freedoms of the citizens of the United States. For example, the right to free speech, the right to a trial by jury, the freedom of religion, all of these are what are considered civil liberties. Civil rights however, are similar yet different.

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.