STANDARD(S): 12.5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ GOALS/ SWBAT.

STANDARD(S): 12.5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations

of the Constitution and its amendments.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ GOALS/ SWBAT

1. Explain how Americans’ commitment to freedom led to the creation of the Bill of Rights.

2. Understand that the rights guaranteed by limited government are not absolute.

3. Show how federalism affects individual rights.

4. Describe how the 9th Amendment helps protect individual rights.

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 3Chapter 19, Section 1

Key TermsKey Terms

• civil liberties: freedoms protected against any unjust actions taken by the government

• civil rights: freedoms protected by positive actions taken by the government

• Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments added to the Constitution, ratified in 1791

• aliens: people who are not citizens of the country in which they live


Key Terms, cont.Key Terms, cont.

• Due Process Clause: clause in the 14th Amendment that says no state can take away a person’s life, liberty, or property without due process of law


Guided Reading 1. The Framers believed that the

primary purpose of government was to protect individual rights


Additional Key Terms, cont.Additional Key Terms, cont.

• process of incorporation: the manner in which the Supreme Court has interpreted the guarantees in the Bill of Rights as being part of the Due Process Clause


Guided Reading 2. They Stated this belief in the

Declaration of Independence and the 3. Constitution.


IntroductionIntroduction

• How does the Constitution protect the rights of individuals against government?

– The Constitution guarantees civil rights and civil liberties to the American people.

– Many of these rights and liberties are protected by the laws established in the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment.


Guided Reading 4. The Bill of Rights was added to

the Constitution because people wanted a guarantee of individual rights explicitly stated


Key DocumentsKey Documents

• The Declaration of Independence states that all men have unalienable rights and that governments exist to protect these rights.

• The Preamble to the Constitution states that purpose of the American government is to “secure the blessings of Liberty” to the people.

• Articles I and III of the Constitution guarantee many key rights.


Guided Reading 5. This document fit well with the

principle of Limited government


The Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights

• There was no general listing of the rights of the people in the Constitution until the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. Now the Bill of Rights is an essential part of the Constitution.

– James Madison (right) authored the Bill of Rights.


Civil Rights and LibertiesCivil Rights and Liberties

• It is important to note the difference between "civil rights" and "civil liberties."

• The legal area known as "civil rights" has traditionally revolved around the basic right to be free from unequal treatment based on certain protected characteristics (race, gender, disability, etc.) in settings such as employment and housing.

• "Civil liberties" concern basic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed -- either explicitly identified in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, or interpreted through the years by courts and lawmakers.



Civil liberties include:

• Freedom of speech

• The right to privacy

• The right to be free from unreasonable searches of your home

• The right to a fair court trial

• The right to marry

• The right to vote



One way to consider the difference between "civil rights" and "civil liberties" is to look at

1) what right is affected, and

2) whose right is affected. For example, as an employee, you do not have the legal right to a

promotion, mainly because getting a promotion is not a guaranteed "civil liberty." But, as a female employee you do have the legal right to be free from discrimination in being considered for that promotion -- you cannot legally be denied the promotion based on your gender (or race, or disability, etc.). By choosing not to promote a female worker solely because of the employee's gender, the employer has committed a civil rights violation and has engaged in unlawful employment discrimination based on sex or gender.



• Civil liberties can be thought of as freedoms protected from possible government abuse.

– Civil liberties include freedom of religion, speech, and the press as well as the right to a fair trial.

• Civil rights can be thought of as freedoms defended by the government.

– Civil rights include laws banning discrimination.


Limited GovernmentLimited Government

• Checkpoint: How does the Bill of Rights limit government in the United States?

– All governments have authority over individual citizens.

– In a democratic government such as the United States, this authority is limited by laws like the Bill of Rights, which specifies individual rights and freedoms that government cannot violate.


Relative RightsRelative Rights

• U.S. citizens may exercise their own rights as long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others.– For example, the right to free speech does not protect

obscene language.• Rights can come into conflict with each other. When this

happens, the courts must then decide the issue.

Blaring music late at night is not a right because it infringes on the rights of others.


Whose Rights?Whose Rights?

• Most constitutional rights extend to all people in the United States, including aliens, or non-citizens.

• However, certain rights of aliens, such as freedom of travel, can be restricted. – During wartime these restrictions may increase.

– For example, in World War II people of Japanese descent were forced to relocate to internment camps.


Guided Reading 6. Each individual’s rights are

limited by the rights of others7. Often the rights of individuals

conflict and, when this occurs, the courts may be called upon to decide which rights take precedence.


FederalismFederalism

• The Bill of Rights applies to the actions of the federal government, not the state governments.

• However, each state constitution contains its own bill of rights to protect the freedoms of its citizens.

• In addition, the 14th Amendment extends the basic rights protected by the Bill of Rights to the citizens of all states.


Guided Reading 8. For the most part, the protections

of the Bill of Rights are extended to Citizens and 9. aliens, but there are some rights that may be denied to 10. aliens.


The 14th AmendmentThe 14th Amendment

• The 14th Amendment includes a Due Process Clause. The Supreme Court has ruled that this clause means no state can deny any person their basic rights and liberties.

• Over time, through the process of incorporation, these basic rights and liberties have been defined as including most of the protections in the Bill of Rights.


Gitlow v. New York, 1925Gitlow v. New York, 1925

• Checkpoint: Why is the case Gitlow v. New York important?

– New York state had convicted Benjamin Gitlow of criminal anarchy for urging people to overthrow the government.

– The Supreme Court upheld the conviction, but ruled for the first time that the 1st Amendment right to free speech also extended to the states because of the 14th Amendment.


Guided Reading 11. The Court has engaged in the process of

incorporation. (Through decisions in various court cases dating as far back as 1925, the Court has incorporated most Bill of Rights protections into the Due Process Clause, which essentially prevents States from depriving people of their basic rights.)


The 9th AmendmentThe 9th Amendment

• The 9th Amendment declares that the people have rights beyond those specifically listed in the Constitution.

• Over time the Supreme Court has determined that some of these unlisted rights include:– The right of a person not to be tried on the basis of

unlawfully gained evidence – The right of a woman to choose to have an abortion


ReviewReview

• Now that you have learned how the Constitution protects the rights of individuals against government, go back and answer the Chapter Essential Question.– How can the judiciary balance individual rights

with the common good?


Guided Reading 12. Civil Rights13. Alien14. Process of Incorporation15. Bill of Rights16. Due Process Clause17. Civil Liberties

STANDARD(S): 12.5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ GOALS/ SWBAT.

Documents

individual rights slide

key rights

government bill of rights

unalienable rights

rights of individuals

government civil rights

copyright pearson education

process clause slide