Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

  • Define rights and liberties and their role in a democratic society.
  • Explain how the Bill of Rights relates to the federal government and to the states.
  • Describe how the First Amendment protects both church and state, as well as individuals’ religious freedom.
  • Show how the protections of freedom of speech and of the press have been tested.
  • Give examples of different interpretations of the Second Amendment’s meaning.
  • Describe the protections afforded criminal defendants under the Constitution.
  • Discuss the extent of an individual’s right to privacy.
  • Compare the idea of civil rights with civil obligations.