The history of civil liberties and illustrated timelines documenting same.
The Supreme Court's 2008-2009 term began on October 6, 2008 and ended on June 29, 2009. Although relatively quiet, the term did result in some significant new rulings.
Updated January 26, 2009.Because of the excesses of the Bush administration, the Obama administration has a lot of work to do on civil liberties issues--and it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that the Obama administration may effect civil liberties violations of its own. This timeline of Obama's first 100 days in office, which will be updated every Monday, will pro…
Unsurprisingly, the top story of this national election year was the national election--but other stories also captured the headlines and the eyes, ears, minds, and marching feet of the civil liberties activism community.
Stare decisis definition.
The definition of the word Orwellian.
A history and definition of the word chauvinism.
Definition of the incorporation doctrine.
George W. Bush and John McCain are more or less on the same page with respect to their policy platforms, but there are five areas where they disagree on crucial civil liberties issues in a way that could be relevant during a McCain presidency.
A review of _Taking on the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era_ (2008) by Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, founder of DailyKos.
An overview of civil rights issues in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, three years later.
This presidential election has already been framed by pundits as "change versus experience," but the truth is that both candidates will offer change. Even George W. Bush offered change. But Barack Obama and John McCain offer up very different agendas of change when it comes to civil liberties.
The presidential and congressional elections are dominating the national debate, but on the state level, voters are considering referendums that may have an equal or greater impact on individual civil liberties.
The civil liberties we have today weren't created; they evolved.
Inch by inch, technicality by technicality, the British system of law that once allowed for the absolute rule of the monarch gradually became a system that respected Parliament and, when it was transplanted to the United States, eliminated the monarchy from the equation entirely. The Bill of Rights, once an unenforceable seri…
There's something about the office of the presidency that attracts narcissists and megalomaniacs. While some presidents shredded the Constitution during a wartime panic (I'm looking at you, Abraham Lincoln), these eight leaders went above and beyond that to discernibly shift our country a little bit closer to the edge of fascism. Oh, sure, none of them were
all bad--but on civil libertie…
There are two schools of thought about John McCain. One holds that he's a maverick senator and a substantial improvement over Bush. The other holds that he's a standards-bearer who will govern as a conservative.
Both schools of thought are basically correct.
McCain is a conservative maverick. The fact that he's a maverick does not make him a centrist, and the fact that he's a con…
A new Supreme Court. A new Congress. A presidential election on the horizon. Allegations of illegal torture, detention, and surveillance by the Bush administration. 2007 was an exciting, and sometimes depressing, year in U.S. civil liberties. Here are the stories that made it what it was.
The Supreme Court's new term began on October 1, 2007. Here's an early list of cases that we already know the Supreme Court will address in the coming session. The Court is still in the process of deciding which cases to hear, so this list is not definitive; bookmark this page and check it later for up-to-date information on important civil liberties cases currently before the Court.
An overview of civil liberties in U.S. states.
A short guide to civil liberties in Mississippi.
A profile of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Profiles of key civil liberties cases of the Supreme Court's 2006-2007 term.
It has been an eventful term for the U.S. Supreme Court. For the first time since 1994, the Supreme Court has new members--one of them a new chief justice. Let's look back on the cases that defined the Court over the past year, and the effect those cases may have on our country. Let's also look ahead to the 2007-2008 term and the cases that will more than likely send ripples through what already promises to be a lively election year.
The top civil liberties stories of the moment. Updated often.
The ACLU assesses new revisions to the Real ID legislation.
A review of stories we covered in 2006.
The top ten articles on About.com Civil Liberties in 2006.
Updated news and detailed analysis dealing with the UCLA campus police's tasering of 23-year-old student Mostafa Tabatabainejad, as well as the subsequent independent investigation.
On November 17th, 2006, the acting chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles announced that Merrick Bobb, formerly of the Christopher Commission, had been asked to lead an independent investigation into the tasering of UCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad.
On November 14th, 2006, a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, was excessively tasered by campus police officers.
An illustrated history of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
After the 2006 midterm elections, an analysis of how Democratic victories will specifically affect legislation dealing with immigration, abortion, gay marriage, and other issues.
A guide to the 2006 elections for voters concerned about civil liberties issues.
Civil liberties related Supreme Court cases for the new 2006-2007 term.
An overview of the Clinton administration's gloomy legacy on some civil liberties issues.
A quick rundown (with photos and links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week and a half ending August 22nd, 2006. Includes discussion of the FDA's Plan B decision, housing discrimination in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and a new Ohio law targeting Hispanic voters.
A quick rundown (with photos and links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week and a half ending August 22nd, 2006. Includes discussion of the Detroit ACLU v. NSA ruling, proposed Senate wiretapping legislation, and the anti-immigrant Hazleton ordinance.
A quick rundown (with photos and links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week ending August 11th, 2006. Includes discussion of the London plane bombing terrorism scare and the subsequent call for racial and ethnic profiling, the ACLU's report on mishandling of Orleans Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina, and the civil liberties implications of the new cybercrime treaty.
A quick rundown (with photos and links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week ending August 4th, 2006. Includes discussion of the U.N. Human Rights Committee's response to the U.S. shadow report, the FDA's upcoming decision on emergency contraception, and the case of Good Samaritans who face prison time for saving the lives of several undocumented immigrants.
A quick rundown (with links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week ending July 28th, 2006. Includes discussion of the Bush administration's attempt to seek immunity from the War Crimes Act and its plan to radically expand enemy combatant status, as well as one U.S. town's assault on all Latino immigrants.
A quick rundown (with links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week ending July 14th, 2006. Includes discussion of the U.S. Senate's renewal of the Voting Rights Act, FEMA obstruction of press access to Katrina survivors, and a new shadow report documenting U.S. human rights abuses against women.
A quick rundown (with links) of the top 10 U.S. civil liberties news stories for the week ending July 14th, 2006. Includes discussion of the Bush administration's concession to Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006), the U.S. House's renewal of the Voting Rights Act, and the New York Supreme Court's ruling against same-sex marriage.
A look at the ten British civil liberties violations that helped cause the American Revolution.
A look at the ten British civil liberties violations that helped cause the American Revolution.
