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Comparing Civil Rights - Coggle Diagram
Comparing Civil Rights
The Protection of Civil Rights in the UK and the USA
Particularly the Bill of Rights and the HRA 1998.
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Have independent judiciaries who can defend the rights of citizens against the government, equally applicable rule of law.
Bar African-American injustices felt in the judicial and police system.
The Supreme Court in the US has more power than the UK to protect civil rights
- Striking down legislation infringing citizens’ rights, whereas the UK can only declare and Act incompatible with the HRA, referred back.
- Landmark rulings .
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Comparison of Methods, Influence and Effectiveness of Civil Rights Campaigns
Methods
Pressure groups and social movements in both countries. Pressure groups use the courts more in the US, who have more influence than in the UK.
Influence and Effectiveness
Civil rights campaigns have changed public attitudes, with many forms of discrimination are considered unacceptable in most of modern society.
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Campaigners for womens’ rights have been more successful in the UK, seen in the opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment
- Paid maternity pay, US give none, UK give 39 weeks.
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Neither campaigners have prevented their governments from using controversial methods tto deal with terror suspects or immigrants.
Structural
Entrenched/ flexible constitutions
Entrenchment of civil liberties int he US Constitution means they are re more protected than in the UK’s constitution, repealed by a simple majority as an Act of Parliament.
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Campaign Finance Rules
Pressure groups spend more in the US due to limited regulation so have more resources thus influence over elected representatives.
Rational
Individuals in civil rights campaigns can represent infringements of their liberties and rights, providing a focus point and aim for campaigners.
Individial civil rights leaders have. A transformative impact on poltiical agenda, such as Martin Luther King, more lacking in the UK in terms of racial civil rights issues.
Some politicians have chosen to expand rights such as JFK and Lyndon B. Johnson with civil rights legislation, with others choosing to restrict rights such as George W. Bush and Tony Blair and Trump.
Cultural
Both value individual liberty , respect for the rule of law underpinning the protection of rights, with a culture of pluralism allowing pressure groups to campaign for rights and liberties.
US political culture more suspicious of government control , demonstrated by larger anti-lockdown protests
Civil rights have been threatened by far-right groups in both countries, often resulting in violence.
Religious groups are more prominent in US culture, so these implications on significant matters are prevalent.
- In both countries, religious groups feel their rights are infringed by liberal, progressive policies and rights expansion.