GVPT 170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: White Primaries, Fourteenth Amendment To The United States Constitution, Equal Protection Clause

• School: University of Maryland
• Department: Government and Politics
• Course: GVPT 170
• Professor: kristinamiler

Document Summary

Definition: rights that guarantee individuals freedom from discrimination. Based on the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and in laws passed by. Civil liberties focus on limiting what government can do to you. Civil rights focus on making sure you"re not discriminated against by the government or other citizens. Fight for civil rights in the u. s. is carried out in different political venues . The u. s. supreme court ruled that a doctrine of separate but equal fulfilled the guarantees of the 14th amendment. Case: plessy challenged a louisiana law that required separation of races on buses and trains. Famous dissent by justice harlan who argued that our constitution is color blind and therefore states cannot make distinctions based on race. Changes in civil rights would be brought about in part because of african americans" growing electoral power. Many southern blacks moved to northern states where they could vote.