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Civil Liberties: Archives

Ask the Expert: The Politicization of the Constitution

play_alt icon Video CAP's Ian Millhiser describes how conservatives have politicized the U.S. Constitution and offers insight into what our founding document actually says.

By Ian Millhiser | Monday, September 17, 2012

Big Business Taking over State Supreme Courts

book_alt2 icon Report Report from Billy Corriher documents how corporations are bending judges to their will through campaign cash.

By Billy Corriher | Monday, August 13, 2012

The Conservative Takeover of State Judiciaries

Todd Phillips and Andrew Blotky summarize the history behind legislative pushes that would enable governors to replace competent state judges, a power that would, in practice, result in more conservative replacements in states across the country.

By Todd Phillips and Andrew Blotky | Monday, August 13, 2012

Cuts to Mental Health Services Could Lead to More Spree Killings

Donna Cooper argues that drastic cuts to mental health service budgets coupled with lax gun purchase laws increases the likelihood of more rampage shootings.

By Donna Cooper | Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Spree Killings Growing More Frequent and More Deadly

Donna Cooper writes that the pace of mentally ill individuals who commit rampage killings with legally purchased guns is increasing.

By Donna Cooper | Thursday, July 26, 2012

Why Courts Matter

article icon Issue Brief Andrew Blotky and Kimberly Barton look at recent and ongoing court cases that demonstrate how much is at stake for the LGBT community.

By Andrew Blotky and Kimberly Barton | Thursday, July 12, 2012

Mandatory Life Without the Possibility of Parole for Juveniles Is Unconstitutional

Joy Moses says the Supreme Court, with its ruling in Miller v. Alabama, has set a path to provide additional safeguards for largely poor and black youthful offenders.

By Joy Moses | Wednesday, June 27, 2012

No Justice for Victims of Forced Sterilizations

Lucy Panza laments the decision by the North Carolina Senate to not compensate the victims who suffered this fate over five decades into the 1970s.

By Lucy Panza | Thursday, June 21, 2012

Keeping Low-Risk Elderly Prisoners Behind Bars Is a Budget Buster

Inimai Chettiar and Will Bunting argue that the mass incarceration of the elderly is unnecessary and expensive.

By Inimai Chettiar and Will Bunting | Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Real Victims of Voter ID Laws

play_alt icon Video CAP visits Wisconsin, one of a handful of states that have recently passed strict voter identification laws, to see how such laws disenfranchise voters.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Russia, Trade, and Human Rights

article icon Issue Brief Cory Welt argues that the U.S. Senate should consider U.S.-Russian trade relations and human rights enforcement seriously, separately, and simultaneously.

By Cory Welt | Monday, April 30, 2012

Auditing the Cost of the Virginia Tech Massacre

book_alt2 icon Report Anthony Green and Donna Cooper examine the financial costs of this tragic spree killing and make recommendations for curbing gun violence.

By Anthony Green and Donna Cooper | Thursday, April 12, 2012

Texas’s Judicial Emergencies and the Need for Senate Action

The Center for American Progress co-hosted an event last week on the judicial vacancies in Texas and the nation.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Top 10 Most Startling Facts About People of Color and Criminal Justice in the United States

Sophia Kerby examines some of the most troubling racial disparities in our criminal-justice system and makes the case for a new movement for racial justice in America.

By Sophia Kerby | Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Who Is Joseph Kony?

play_alt icon Video Sasha Lezhnev of the Enough Project, a Center for American Progress partner organization, explains who Joseph Kony is, what has been done to stop his brutal tactics and what still needs to be done to bring him to justice.

By Sasha Lezhnev | Friday, March 9, 2012