GSU Library Research Guides: POLS 1101H: American Government (Mitchell): Introduction

Introduction: Research Presentation

For this class you will give a presentation on a particular civil liberty or civil rights of your choice. Your presentation must be a minimum of 15 minutes and incorporate your power point slides. This power point presentation must include a minimum of 12 slides. In this presentation you will trace the development of the particular civil liberty or civil right you have researched, including the historical context of your topic, relevant case law and legislation. You may use the textbook, class notes, articles, and books about your civil liberty or civil right. NO Wikipedia or any other similar type of source (e.g. Britannica). You will turn in to me before your presentation a hardcopy of your presentation, along with a bibliography of resources you used we will be discussing the presentation throughout the semester.

Photo by Michael Hanscom, Flickr creative commons, 2006, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Background Information

Issues & Controversies: Civil Liberties
Browse pro and con issues around various civil liberties in database Issues & Controversies.
CQ Researcher: Civil Rights
Browse reports on Civil Rights in the US in database CQ Researcher.

News & Newspapers This link opens in a new window
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Browse the latest news using this newspaper database, which searches The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The New York Times, and The Times of London, among many other papers, at the same time.
New York Times (ProQuest Newspapers) This link opens in a new window
Search The New York Times archive dating back to 1980.

Films and Documentaries

The American Civil Liberties Union: A History
For 80 years, one legal organization has supported the rights of the individual against the majority and the government, igniting rage in conservatives and liberals alike. That organization is the ACLU, and it has virtually molded our national ideal of liberty. Its history reads like a case study of freedom of expression and minority rights in the 20th century. This program, with commentary from Oliver North, Dave Barry, and Molly Ivins, traces the tumultuous history of that organization from its inception by founder Roger Baldwin, through dozens of legal challenges over the past century, including the Scopes trial, the 1930s labor strikes, Japanese internment, the HUAC hearings and blacklisting, the Vietnam war crimes trials, the American Nazi Party’s bid to march in Skokie, Illinois, and others.
Civil Liberties: Safeguarding the Individual—Democracy in America
This program examines the First, Fourth, and Sixth Constitutional Amendments to show how the Bill of Rights protects individual citizens from excessive or arbitrary government interference, yet, contrary to the belief of many Americans, does not grant unlimited rights.
Civil Liberties Evolution
In 1215, the Magna Carta limited the King's authority and granted legal rights. The U.S. Constitution protects against government tyranny and the Bill of Rights guarantees individual rights when faced with prosecution. Legal experts explain the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments.
The Civil Rights Movement
A part of the series America in the 20th Century. Anyone who thinks the civil rights movement began and ended with Martin Luther King Jr. will discover a new, eye-opening view of history in this program. It reveals a long-running struggle for racial equality starting with Civil War– and Reconstruction-era events, moving through the blight of Jim Crow and the formation of the NAACP and other groups, and depicting the drama of King’s movement in varied, evolving phases. The work of Malcolm X, the rise of the Black Power movement, and the future of America’s ongoing equality battles are also examined.