William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

166166 Chapter 5 | Civil Rights

Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Roof later confessed that he was

trying to ignite a race war.

This backdrop of racial inequality, discrimination, and violence drives civil rights

activists to push their agenda in the three branches of government: legislative, executive,

and judicial. In some instances, activists work in several arenas simultaneously; in

others, they seek redress in one arena after exhausting alternatives in the others. The

civil rights movement, which was crucial in early policy successes, also continues to

mobilize from the grass roots.

Key players in the conflict

over civil rights

Our civil rights policies are produced by several key players. First, the public becomes

involved through social movements to put pressure on the political system to change.

But Congress, the president, and the courts all also exert their own inf luence on

policies that define civil rights.

Social Movements

From the early women’s rights movement and abolitionists of the nineteenth century to

the gay rights and civil rights movements of the mid-twentieth century, activists have

pressured the political system to change civil rights policies. Through collective action,

these social movements have made sure that protecting equal rights remained on the

policy agenda.

Women started to push for the right to vote at a convention in 1848 in Seneca

Falls, New York. Subsequently, a constitutional amendment to give women the right

to vote was regularly introduced in Congress between 1878 and 1913 but never was

passed, despite the efforts of women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady

Stanton. After a parallel movement at the state level had some success, the Nineteenth

Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was finally passed in 1919 and ratified in

1920 (see Figure 5.3).

EXPLAIN THE APPROACHES

USED TO BRING ABOUT

CHANGE IN CIVIL RIGHTS

POLICIES

First women’s

rights

convention

held in

Seneca Falls,

New York.

Territory of

Wyoming

gives women

the right

to vote.

Congress

requires

equal pay

for equal

work for

federal

employees

(but not for

private sector

workers).

Federal

airmative

action policies

are extended

to women by

an executive

order.

Title IX of

the Education

Amendments of

1972 requires

equal access

to programs

for men and

women in

higher

education.

Roe v. Wade

establishes

a constitutional

right to abortion.

Lilly Ledbetter

Fair Pay Act

makes it easier

to sue for

gender-based

pay discrimination.

The Nineteenth

Amendment

gives women

the right

to vote.

Equal

Pay Act

requires

equal pay

for equal

work.

Title VII of

the Civil

Rights Act

bars employment

discrimination

based on

race, sex,

and other

grounds.

Griswold v.

Connecticut

legalizes

the use of

contraceptives

by married

couples.

1848 1869 1872 1920 1963 1964 1965 1967

Thirty-five states

ratify the Equal

Rights Amendment,

passed by Congress

in 1971–1972, falling

three states short

of the number needed

to add the amendment

to the Constitution.

1972 1973 1982 2009

The social

media

campaign

#MeToo

calls attention

to sexual

violence

against

women.

2017

FIGURE

5.3

Women’s Rights Time Line

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