Lesson 9.1 – Overview of civil liberties

In this lesson we will learn about the concept of civil liberties and how it is incorporated in the Bill of Rights.

WATCH – Lesson 9.1 Intro Video

READ – Reading 9.1 – “Civil Liberties and Basic Freedoms, Bill of Rights (First through Fourth Amendment)”

Read the following textbook excerpt for a basic overview of civil liberties and what constitutes “basic freedoms” in US politics:

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-2e/pages/4-2-securing-basic-freedoms

COMPLETE – Self-assessment Exercise 9.1

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-2e/pages/4-review-questions

You can check your answers here:

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-2e/pages/chapter-4#fs-id1163758389607-solution

READ – Reading 9.2 – Bill of Rights: The rights of suspects

In this reading, we will learn about the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Amendments, related to the rights of suspects accused of crimes by the criminal justice system:

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-2e/pages/4-3-the-rights-of-suspects

COMPLETE – Self-Assessment Exercise 9.2

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-2e/pages/4-review-questions

You can check your answers here:

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-2e/pages/chapter-4#fs-id1163758389607-solution

WRITE – Discussion Board 9.1

Head over to Discussion Board 9.1

CLICK to go to Discussion Board 9.1

LESSON 9.2 – Case Study – The Bill of Rights during Wartime: The Patriot Act

In this lesson, we will study what happens to civil rights during wartime. We will focus on the Patriot Act, which is a controversial set of federal laws, widely expanding the powers of law enforcement, in cases related to terrorism. Does the Patriot Act violate the Bill of Rights, or does it stay within its limits?

WATCH – Lesson 9.2 Intro Video

READ – Reading 9.3 – P. Williams: “This Dangerous Patriot’s Game”

This article by Patricia Williams describes the “War on Terror” that the US government declared after the 9/11/01 attacks, as a “new type of war”:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/02/humanrights.usa

READ – Reading 9.4 – “The Patriot Act”: key controversies

This article gives an overview of the most important parts of the Patriot Act, designed to fight international terrorism in the US. As you study it, think about which amendments from the Bill of Rights is the Patriot Act seemingly violating, and why:

https://legacy.npr.org/news/specials/patriotact/patriotactdeal.html

WRITE – Discussion Board 9.2

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Click to go to Discussion Board 9.2