The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America - Hardcover

Schultz, David; Vile, John R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765680637 ISBN 13: 9780765680631

Publisher: Routledge, 2004

Synopsis

Driven by the growing reality of international terrorism, the threats to civil liberties and individual rights in America are greater today than at any time since the McCarthy era in the 1950s. At this critical time when individual freedoms are being weighed against the need for increased security, this exhaustive three-volume set provides the most detailed coverage of contemporary and historical issues relating to basic rights covered in the United States Constitution. The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America examines the history and hotly contested debates surrounding the concept and practice of civil liberties. It provides detailed history of court cases, events, Constitutional amendments and rights, personalities, and themes that have had an impact on our freedoms in America. The Encyclopedia appraises the state of civil liberties in America today, and examines growing concerns over the limiting of personal freedoms for the common good. Complete with selected relevant documents and a chronology of civil liberties developments, and arranged in A-Z format with multiple indexes for quick reference, The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America includes in-depth coverage of: freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly, as outlined in the first amendment; protection against unreasonable search and seizure, as outlined in the fourth amendment; criminal due process rights, as outlined in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth amendments; property rights, economic liberties, and other rights found within the text of the United States Constitution; Supreme Court justices, presidents, and other personalities, focusing specifically on their contributions to or effect on civil liberties; concepts, themes, and events related to civil liberties, both practical and theoretical; court cases and their impact on civil liberties.

About this title

From Booklist:

This reference set contains more than 700 alphabetically arranged entries on terms, historical documents and events, constitutional provisions, individuals, and associations that have been important in the struggle for civil liberties. It is intended to complement The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America, published in 1998. Editors Schultz and Vile are professors at Hamline University and Middle Tennessee State University, respectively, and are joined here by some 200 academic contributors.

The entries are short, a page or two in length, and end with suggestions for further reading. The "Topic Finder" in volume 1 indicates the range of coverage--there are entries grouped under "Academic Freedom and Education," "Campaign Contributions," "Criminal Procedures," "Laws," "Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court," "Property Rights," and "Wartime and Terrorism," to name just a few broad topics. Among the timely entries one will find are Airport searches, DNA testing, Electronic eavesdropping, Hate crimes, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Ten Commandments: Posting. Numerous entries cover people, from John Locke to Ethel and Julius Rosenberg to John Ashcroft, who have helped frame the debate about civil liberties in one way or another. Cross-references are found throughout the encyclopedia. The lengthy introduction discusses the history of American civil liberties from its roots to the twenty-first century. In addition to the "Topic Finder," the first volume contains a case index. Appendixes at the end of the third volume include a few primary documents, a chronology of important civil liberties milestones from 1215 to 2004, and an extensive bibliography. Some entries are accompanied by black-and-white illustrations.

No other reference source truly duplicates this set, which is recommended for high-school and undergraduate collections and public libraries as good introductory material. Diana Shonrock
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0765680637
• ISBN 13: 9780765680631
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40