What are Civil Liberties and Rights?
• Civil Liberties. Defined as a set of protections against government restrictions on the rights of speech, petition, assembly, and the press. These rights protect people when they participate in the democratic political system. American government is one of laws, guaranteeing each citizen due process proceedings to ensure individual liberties. Protection of civil liberties is central to such issues as the right to criticize and oppose current policies, government censorship, and the right to organize for elections. • Civil Rights. Defined as a set of protections against discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender. The Constitution recognizes that all citizens must be treated equally under the laws and, therefore, forbids discriminatory treatment of minorities or other groups. Conversely, no racial, religious, or ethnic group can claim privileged treatment. • Expanding the Bill of Rights The original Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government. It has
