Civil Liberties and the State

A Documentary and Reference Guide

Christopher Peter Latimer

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Year: 2010
• ISBN:
  9780313379352
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Civil Rights in Law
• Index: Law

This book covers documents and related information pertaining to civil liberties in America, including the debates over arbitrary state action, due process, equal protection, freedom of speech, and privacy issues. The USA PATRIOT Act, the actions and free speech of the Ku Klux Klan, and the use of privately owned devices with GPS by law enforcement are all highly controversial topics that fall under the blanket of civil liberties and federal or state authority—subjects that are important to most Americans. This book provides a comprehensive examination of arbitrary state action post-September 11, 2001, combining detailed examinations of specific legislation with watershed coverage of issues such as freedom of speech, press, and religion as well as various aspects of criminal law and procedure. This text presents documents from Britain, the American colonial period, the Founding period, and the modern era, including recent Supreme Court cases. The author provides an accompanying analysis of each document, providing insightful historical context and ramifications of the decisions and the laws passed.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Reader’s Guide to Related Documents and Sidebars
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Colonial and Founding Documents
• 2. Early Court Rulings on Due Process, Equal Protection, First Amendment, and Privacy
• 3. 20th-Century Statements and Enactments
• 4. 20th-Century Court Rulings
• 5. 21st-Century Enactments Concerning the War on Terror
• 6. 21st-Century Court Rulings
• 7. Arbitrary State Action and Politics
• Civil Liberties Resources
• Index