Today's Civil Rights and Liberties Issues

An indispensable, one-stop resource for those wanting to better understand where Democrats and Republicans stand on current civil rights and civil liberties issues related to voting, free speech, abortion and reproductive rights, guns, and other hot-button topics.Both the Democratic and Republican parties claim that they have the best interests of the nation and its people at heart, and they are equally adamant that they have the best policy solutions to address the nation's problems and challenges. Each volume in the Across the Aisle reference series examines the stated policy positions and actual voting/legislative records of the two parties (they are not always the same) on important areas of public policy, both historically and in the present day.This volume of Across the Aisle, on the parties' records and rhetoric concerning the protection of American civil rights and liberties, sorts through the rhetorical clutter and partisan distortions that typify so many disputes between Republicans and Democrats and provides an accurate, balanced, and evenhanded overview of the parties' attitudes and records on vital civil rights and liberties questions pertaining to voting rights, political representation, abortion, guns, free speech, and other high-interest issues.Identifies key milestones and policy decisions that shape contemporary debates over each issueUses a nonpartisan, unbiased, and impartial lens to help readers understand not only where parties stand on contested civil rights issues, but how these disagreements reflect larger ideological and partisan viewsInforms readers about the ethical, historical, and legal context of each issueProvides a chronology of important events related to American civil rights and liberties.Includes further readings of important and illuminating sources at the end of each chapter