Civil Liberties And The Government Of The United States

Legal historian Geoffrey Stones claims that the government of the United States has in the past overreacted in times of war and crisis, and has seriously violated many civil liberties. A democracy requires high levels of civil rights, liberties, and political openness in order for its citizens to fully participate in political election, and other governmental activities; however, the demands of national security usually require much less openness, secrecy, and limitations on civil rights and liberties. Throughout history there have been times were large numbers of individuals have experienced political discrimination and have had great difficulty exercising their civil liberties. Ethnic minority groups, and immigrants have been among the most targeted by the government in times of crisis. Under conditions of war, American civil liberties and political participation are usually curtailed and violated in many ways by the government, usually with the active support of some groups and people in society. Times of national security threat are often accompanied by what historian Richard Hofstadter calls â€Å"the paranoid style in American politics.† In other words, war produces preoccupation with internal threats to national security, and some groups with in society are targeted as security ricks because of their ethnic or political belief. This paper will briefly explore different times and crisis were civil liberties have been obstructed by the government for national securityShow MoreRelatedCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1479 Words   |  6 PagesSLO #1 Civil Liberties v Civil Rights Dylan Dang, GOV 2301 In today’s world, a country’s government has a monumental impact on how society functions. 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