CONTENT STATEMENT
Historically, the United States has struggled with majority rule and the extension of minority rights. As a result of this struggle, the government has increasingly extended civil rights to marginalized groups and broadened opportunities for participation.
Content elaboration
The U.S. Constitution guarantees rights to the people of the United States. Historically, despite those guarantees, various groups of people have been denied the ability to fully exercise their rights. Over time, the U.S. government has responded to public pressure to take action to ensure the free exercise of rights by all people and to protect their ability to participate in the processes of governing.
For example, constitutional amendments guaranteed suffrage to women and eliminated poll taxes as a means of restricting African Americans from voting. The executive branch used troops to help integrate schools and brought charges against violators of open housing legislation. The legislative branch enacted a series of civil rights acts and voting rights acts. The U.S. Supreme Court, through the process of incorporation, has used the due process and equal protection clauses in the 14th Amendment to apply most of the federal Bill of Rights to the states.
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
Identify an issue related to the denial of civil rights to a particular minority group and explain how at least one branch of the federal government helped to extend civil rights or opportunities for participation to that group of people.