1. Chapter 19 Section 1 Objective: To understand the relationship of civil rights and liberties to the concept of limited government.

2. A. Rights and Liberties in American Political Thought 1. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution guarantee to the American people certain rights and liberties. 2. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties The distinction between rights and liberties are difficult to define. Civil liberties are protections against the government Civil rights are positive acts of the government that seek to make the guarantees of the constitution a reality to all people.

3. B. Individual Rights and Limited Government 1. Government in the United States is limited, meaning that it can do only those things that the people allow it to do. 2. The difference between a dictatorship and a democracy lies in the extent of the government’s authority.

4. C. Relativity of Individual Rights 1. Each individual’s freedom is limited by the duty not to infringe on the rights of others….fist/nose analogy 2. Each person’s rights are relative to the rights of every other person.

5. D. When Rights Conflict 1. In many situations, the basic rights of one person or group conflict with the basic rights of another. 2. When this happens, the court must weigh the conflicting claims carefully.

6. E. Persons to whom rights are guaranteed 1. Most constitutional rights are guaranteed to aliens as well as citizens. 2. Some, like the right to move freely about the country, apply to citizens only.

7. F. Federalism and individual rights 1. The American concept of federalism results in a complex pattern of individual rights guarantees. 2. The scope of the Bill of Rights – The BoR applies only to the National Government, not to the State governments.

8. 3. The modifying effect of the 14 th amendment – The Supreme court ruled that state governments may not deny people their rights because of the wording of the 14 th amendment’s due process clause. 4. The role of the 9 th amendment – The 9 th states that there are rights retained by the people that are not spelled out in the Constitution. (unenumerated rights)