Civil Rights & Liberties in the 21st Century

This up-to-date analysis of the Supreme Court's landmark rulings on civil rights and liberties is a discussion of the facts, legal issues, and constitutional questions surrounding those rulings. Domino's text serves as either a core text in courses on civil liberties and civil rights, or as a supplementary text in courses on constitutional law and the judiciary. The book is written in the belief that the key to understanding constitutional law is not having the right answers but asking the right questions. It encourages students to be critical thinkers and provides a historical context so students can better understand competing social, legal, and political interests affecting the Supreme Court's decisions today. The text also includes numerous short excerpts from some of the more influential, eloquent, and controversial Supreme Court opinions to illustrate the handiwork of the powerful legal minds who have helped to shape our society. It reminds us that "the Court" is not an abstract legal mechanism, but rather a group of human beings with divergent opinions.

• Up-to-date discussion of recent Roberts Court rulings on freedom of expression, including hate speech, symbolic conduct, military recruiting on college campuses, and the historic Citizens United campaign finance case.
• The addition of a section on obscenity and the First Amendment, which includes a discussion of Internet pornography.
• Recent rulings on religion, including cases involving religious symbols on public land, the constitutionality of prayer during public meetings, and the controversial Hobby Lobby case.
• Expanded discussion of the use of GPS and thermal scanning technology by law enforcement and issues surrounding cell phone privacy.
• Most recent developments in reproductive rights and abortion.
• The landmark ruling on same-sex marriage in the equal protection chapter.
• Recent decision on the use of affirmative action in admissions decisions.
• A discussion of the Court’s groundbreaking decision on the right to bear arms.
• An analysis of the record of the Roberts Court compared to the Rehnquist, Burger and Warren Courts, revisiting the question of counterrevolution that set the theme for the previous editions.
• Discussion of many of the most controversial rulings from the standpoint of the Court as a cultural tribunal.

John C. Domino is Professor of Political Science at Sam Houston State University. He teaches and conducts research in the areas of judicial systems, constitutional law, civil rights and liberties, American political thought, court administration, American government, and public policy.