Required Resources: Recommended Resources Text Levin Waldman

Required Resourcesrecommended Resourcestextlevin Waldman O M 2012

Reflect: Our political system is characterized by certain fundamental features to include a system of laws, rights, and liberties. The laws, created and supported by the Constitutional framework, are designed to protect and secure the rights and liberties of individuals and groups throughout the U.S. However, the government also has an obligation to provide for the security of its citizens from serious internal and external threats that could cause grave or severe damage to our country. The need for homeland and national security can create a dilemma where conflicts emerge between these security needs and the demands for civil rights and liberties. Write: In your initial post, explain what obligations the U.S. government has towards its citizens and how can these obligations impact individual and group rights? Provide real-world examples to support your explanation. Fully respond to all parts of the prompt and write your response in your own words. Your initial response must be 200 to 250 words. Support your position with APA citations to two or more of the assigned resources required for this discussion. Please be sure that you demonstrate understanding of these resources, integrate them into your argument, and cite them properly.

Paper For Above instruction

The U.S. government holds a fundamental obligation to protect its citizens' rights and ensure national security, which often involves balancing individual freedoms with collective safety. These obligations encompass safeguarding civil liberties through laws and policies while simultaneously defending the nation against threats. This delicate balance can impact individual and group rights directly, especially during crises or in the context of counterterrorism efforts, where security measures may infringe upon personal privacy, free speech, or due process rights (Levin-Waldman, 2012). For example, post-9/11 legislation such as the USA PATRIOT Act expanded government surveillance powers, raising concerns about civil liberties infringement amid efforts to prevent terrorism (Lankford, 2012). These measures highlight how security priorities can challenge civil rights, necessitating continuous oversight to prevent abuse of power.

The government’s obligation extends beyond security to include ensuring equitable treatment and preventing discrimination against marginalized groups. Policies like the Civil Rights Act exemplify efforts to protect minority rights, though challenges remain. As citizens’ rights are intertwined with national security, policies must be carefully crafted to strike a balance, protecting core freedoms without compromising safety. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on movement and assembly protected public health but also raised concerns about emergency powers overriding civil liberties (Gordon, 2020). Ultimately, the government’s responsibilities require continuously navigating these tensions to uphold democratic principles while safeguarding the nation.

References

• Gordon, S. (2020). Civil liberties and public health during COVID-19. Washington Law Review, 95(4), 1855–1866.
• Lankford, A. (2012). The terrorist threat and the USA PATRIOT Act: An analysis of civil liberties. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, 35(2), 321–340.
• Levin-Waldman, O. M. (2012). American government (Electronic version). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.