Introduction

Unit/Module 2 provides a foundation for understanding the civil rights and liberties of Americans. It answers some fundamental questions, e.g., Can the government promote racial bias? Is affirmative action racist? What the rights of criminal defendants? ,We explore America’s constitution from the Bill of Rights, through modern times, including the Supreme Court's interpretation of the rights.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

Explain the original Bill of Rights, including constitutional amendments since 1791.
Describe our constitutional federal republic
Explain how we got from colonial rule to the world's first constitutional democratic republic.

You Will Demonstrate Mastery of Unit 2

By being able to:

Compare and contrast the different theories behind governmental regimes.
Analyze the pros and cons of each such regime.
Describe how 13 disparate sovereign colonies became one “constitutional republic.”
Apply your learning to current events, specifically the "Politics in the News" discussion board