Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties

Abstract This chapter is about constitutional law and civil liberties. A main focus of the chapter is on the power of judicial review, its history and current practice. The chapter begins with an overview of the U.S. Constitution and the complex relationship between its text, the courts that interpret it, and broader society. It then looks at state constitutions and compares them, in form and substance, to their federal counterpart. The chapter also examines the expansion of constitutional rights and civil liberties, especially in the areas of free speech and race discrimination. Finally, the chapter looks at how the U.S. constitution and system of judicial review have served as a model for many other countries.