When we think of judicial activism–the Court's role in making public policy–we often focus on individuals: the Robert Borks or Thurgood Marshalls of the times. In this book, Richard Pacelle explores the institutional judicial activism of the Supreme Court through the dramatic changes in its agenda as it has evolved from 1933 to the present. Once dominated by economic issues, the Supreme Court's agenda is now populated largely by cases involving individual rights and liberties. This shift is hardly accidental, Pacelle argues, and he offers quantitative as well as qualitative assessments of the means and motivations for change. Over 7,500 cases serve as the basis of analysis, and the narrative is amplified by informative appendixes: an explanation of the author's case taxonomy, a chronology of the Court's chief justices, a list of cases cited, and a digest of key cases. The systematic framework provided for tracing historical changes in the Supreme Court's agenda is the first of its kind and is sure to be valuable in future analyses and projections of coming change beyond the Rehnquist Court.

This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Aimed at general readers as well as high school, college, and university students, it focuses on the role of federal courts in civil rights and civil liberties politics. It also profiles the primary actors in civil rights and civil liberties, both organizations and people. The volume comprises seven chapters. Chapter 1 presents the history and background of the topic, and Chapter 2 discusses problems, controversies, and solutions. Chapter 3 consists of essays by contributors that round out the coauthors' expertise. Chapter 4 profiles important organizations and people, while Chapter 5 offers relevant data and documents. Chapter 6 is composed of an annotated list of important resources. Finally, Chapter 7 offers a useful chronology citing and describing the major events related to the topic from the nation's founding until 2019.

Driven by the growing reality of international terrorism, the threats to civil liberties and individual rights in America are greater today than at any time since the McCarthy era in the 1950s. At this critical time when individual freedoms are being weighed against the need for increased security, this exhaustive three-volume set provides the most detailed coverage of contemporary and historical issues relating to basic rights covered in the United States Constitution. The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America examines the history and hotly contested debates surrounding the concept and practice of civil liberties. It provides detailed history of court cases, events, Constitutional amendments and rights, personalities, and themes that have had an impact on our freedoms in America. The Encyclopedia appraises the state of civil liberties in America today, and examines growing concerns over the limiting of personal freedoms for the common good. Complete with selected relevant documents and a chronology of civil liberties developments, and arranged in A-Z format with multiple indexes for quick reference, The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America includes in-depth coverage of: freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly, as outlined in the first amendment; protection against unreasonable search and seizure, as outlined in the fourth amendment; criminal due process rights, as outlined in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth amendments; property rights, economic liberties, and other rights found within the text of the United States Constitution; Supreme Court justices, presidents, and other personalities, focusing specifically on their contributions to or effect on civil liberties; concepts, themes, and events related to civil liberties, both practical and theoretical; court cases and their impact on civil liberties.

List of Tables and FiguresAcknowledgments1: Introduction 2: The Conditions for the Rights Revolution: Theory 3: The United States: Standard Explanations for the Rights Revolution 4: The Support Structure and the U.S. Rights Revolution 5: India: An Ideal Environment for a Rights Revolution? 6: India's Weak Rights Revolution and Its Handicap 7: Britain: An Inhospitable Environment for a Rights Revolution? 8: Britain's Modest Rights Revolution and Its Sources 9: Canada: A Great Experiment in Constitutional Engineering 10: Canada's Dramatic Rights Revolution and Its Sources 11: Conclusion: Constitutionalism, Judicial Power, and Rights App: Selected Constitutional or Quasi-Constitutional Rights Provisions for the United States, India, Britain, and Canada Notes Bibliography Index Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Assesses role of present-day Supreme Court in relation to its constitutional mandate and limitations and its historically accepted role. Includes Legislative Reference Service report "Supreme Court Decisions, 1953-68, Which Have Modified Prior Interpretations or Established New Constitutional Principals" (Aug. 7, 1968. p. 253-337).