A Level Politics - Comparing Civil Rights - Civil Rights Campaign

Civil Rights Campaigns
This section compares and contrasts civil rights campaigns in the US and UK, analyzing their methods, influence, and effectiveness.
I. Methods of Campaigning:

• Similarities: Both countries utilize similar tactics: marches, rallies, lobbying, direct action, and civil disobedience.
• Differences:
  • Legal Strategies: The US utilizes court challenges more extensively due to the Supreme Court's power of judicial review and ability to strike down legislation. The UK, since the Human Rights Act (HRA), has seen increased use of judicial review.
  • Funding: US pressure groups have significantly higher funding due to less restrictive election spending laws compared to the UK.

II. Influence and Effectiveness:

• Shifting Public Attitudes: Both countries have witnessed significant shifts in public opinion, making overt racism, homophobia, and misogyny largely unacceptable. Legal changes have benefited people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
• Religious Influence: Religious campaigns hold significantly more sway in the US. This is highlighted by the contrasting experiences regarding abortion rights: While the UK successfully extended rights to Northern Ireland, the US faces challenges from state-level restrictions and potential Supreme Court overturns of Roe v. Wade.
• Women's Rights: Women's rights campaigns have achieved more success in the UK. The US, unlike other developed nations, lacks federally mandated paid maternity leave, while the UK offers 39 weeks of partial pay. Conservative opposition to reforms, including the Equal Rights Amendment, has hindered progress in the US.
• The NRA's Influence: The NRA's substantial financial resources grant it unparalleled influence on US politicians, exceeding that of any UK civil rights group.
• Government Response to Terrorism and Immigration: Neither US nor UK campaigns have completely prevented governments from employing controversial methods against suspected terrorists or immigrants, though campaigns may have mitigated their severity.
• Government and Societal Attitudes: Both governmental and societal attitudes significantly impact campaign success. Trump's policies illustrate the former, while the Black Lives Matter movement highlights persistent racism in both the US and UK. #MeToo exposed widespread sexual harassment and assault, yet misogynistic attitudes persist, evident in higher rates of domestic violence and the gender pay gap. Both countries also grapple with homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism.

III. Key Factors for Effective Civil Rights Campaigns:

• Challenging Underlying Attitudes: Effective campaigns must confront deeply rooted prejudices and biases within society.
• Ensuring Fair Application of the Rule of Law: Equal application of the law across all levels of the justice system is crucial.

IV. Study Questions:

1. Compare and contrast the legal strategies employed by civil rights groups in the US and UK. How have these strategies influenced the effectiveness of their campaigns?
2. Discuss the role of funding in the success of civil rights campaigns. Why is the US landscape so different from the UK's?
3. Analyze the influence of religious groups on civil rights campaigns in the US and UK, focusing on specific examples.
4. Compare and contrast the successes and challenges faced by women's rights campaigns in both countries.
5. Critically evaluate the influence of the NRA on US politics. What factors contribute to its unique power?
6. How have government responses to terrorism and immigration impacted civil liberties campaigns in both countries?
7. Discuss the importance of addressing underlying societal attitudes to achieve lasting change in civil rights. Provide examples from the text.

V. Further Research:

• Investigate the Stephen Lawrence case and its impact on understanding race relations in the UK.
• Research the history and impact of the Equal Rights Amendment in the US.
• Explore the legal arguments surrounding Roe v. Wade and its potential reversal.