POLS 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Abercrombie & Fitch, Free Exercise Clause, Strict Scrutiny
6 Jul 2018
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Our understanding of federalism has changed over time and will keep changing. Federal government has gained power as americans" demands for government services and goods have increased. Con: variation in social and economic policies in states" spending power leads to inequality across states. States" rights versus federal rights is not a partisan issue. People like to win regardless of the level of government. Civil liberties: limitations on the government"s ability to interfere with the individual (ex: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. ) - protections from the government, considered essential to a democracy. Civil rights: rules governing who may participate in the political process and government treatment of citizens -- we want the government to grant us these. Civil liberties are a means to an end, and also an end itself. Remember that the constitutional convention concluded without a bill of rights.
