Civil Liberties in America: A Reference Handbook

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A concise, authoritative guide to civil liberties issues in American society, from freedom of speech and religious liberty to due process, equal protection, and privacy. Is racial profiling permissible for a good cause Why shouldn't schools display the Ten Commandments on their walls Should the terminally ill in Oregon be allowed to end their lives without federal interference Is hate speech protected under the law America's civil liberties have a storied past and uncertain future. Written for a general audience, this work clearly defines civil liberties and explains their legal basis in the Bill of Rights, state constitutions, legal statutes, and administrative regulations. It reviews the subject's history from 1917 to the present, and covers the full range of civil liberties issues: the First Amendment, due process, equal protection, and privacy. In addition to extensive material on past controversies, such as the Scopes trial and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the book discusses important contemporary issues, such as censorship on the internet and drug testing. The coverage also examines conflicting civil liberties issues such as hate speech, which pits one person's freedom of expression against another's right to equal protection. The book contains extensive bibliographic references to books and articles and a long list of web site links to organizations active on all sides of today's civil liberties controversies.

Reviews

"What teen researchers will get from this volume is a solid starting point for their investigations into a variety of topics that promise to be in the forefront of public discussion for years to come. Recommended." - Library Media Connection "Walker has done a good job, and the work is certainly worth the time of general readers ... Recommended." - Choice

Author Bio

Samuel Walker is professor of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE.