Question

Explain the roots of civil liberties in the Constitution and their development in the Bill of Rights.

Answer 1

Civil Liberties protect us from the powers of government. They are rooted in the Bill Of Rights which limits the federal government's powers. The government can not take away the rights defined in the Bill of Rights, and any activity that encroaches on those freedoms is unconstitutional. The Bill of Rights only applies to the federal government, and people have not been shielded from the infringement of their civil liberties by the states. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, protects citizens from State infringements of constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties. Courts began the practice of Incorporation in the early part of the 20th century,

Civil rights involve the fundamental right to be free from unequal treatment in settings such as jobs, education, housing, and access to public services, based on certain protected characteristics (race, gender, disability, etc.). In designated situations a civil rights violation occurs where an individual is discriminated against on the basis of a protected characteristic. Most civil rights laws are established by federal government through federal legislation or jurisprudence.

Civil liberties apply to basic rights and freedoms that are protected-either expressly defined in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, or interpreted or implied by legislatures or courts over time.