Tom Richey explains the difference between civil rights and civil liberties for students taking American Government courses and preparing for the AP US Government and Politics exam.

Civil rights and civil liberties are often used interchangeably when we discuss them, but the distinction is important for the AP Government exam. Civil liberties are a citizen's constitutional guarantees as an individual, including freedom of expression, selfdefense, and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. These guarantees are found in the Bill of Rights. Cases like Gideon v. Wainwright and Miranda v. Arizona are examples of civil liberties cases.

Civil rights issues involve a citizen's right to have the same opportunities as other citizens for education, employment, and housing regardless of their race, gender, or sexuality. Cases such as Brown v. Board and Regents v. Bakke are examples of cases dealing with civil rights, as they involve discrimination.

This is more than a crash course. It's a lesson taught by a classroom teacher.