Civil+Rights

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (see under civil disobedience, #4)
 * __WHAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION DID THE MOST TO EXPAND CIVIL RIGHTS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS?__**

The pertinent question regarding civil rights is not whether the government has the authority to treat different people differently; it is whether such differences in treatment are reasonable. All laws and policies make distinctions among people (tax laws require higher-income people to pay taxes at a higher rate than lower-income ones), but not all distinctions are defensible. The case of discrimination against African Americans in the United States is one that has consistently been under close scrutiny for many decades; however women's rights have become an increasingly large issue, and in recent years, gay rights have gathered more attention as well. Many cases dealing with suspect classifications have been declared unconstitutional; all have become increasingly subject to **strict scrutiny**: a Supreme Court test to see if a law denies equal protection because it doesn't serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve that goal.
 * Civil Rights:** the rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences.
 * Suspect classifications:** classifications of people on the basis of their race or ethnicity.

Large step in civil rights for all Americans: 14th Amendment. "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Civil Disobediance

Racial profiling is a controversial issue: many people say it is unfair; however, perhaps people of a certain race are more likely to break the speed limit or smuggle drugs in their cars; if that is the case, then stopping them more frequently, even if it means stopping innocent people, may make sense. 9/11 added a whole new dimension to the issue of racial profiling.

Women's Rights

Affirmative Action

Gay Rights

Court Cases