assignment II pt 3
Running head: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 1
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 2
Comment by WDB: Two days late = 10% off. This is a good effort, Christa, although it looks as if you skipped the outline phase as called for in the assignment and jumped straight into your first draft of your paper – that’s a shame, as learning to draft outlines can help you in drafting strong papers. You have a good topic paragraph and thesis statement, and it’s clear from your main point paragraphs that you’ve thought about how to use your research and main points to support your thesis. You also need a concluding paragraph that sums up main points and restates thesis. Could peer-reviewed sources, good APA formatting in references, good use of parenthetical citations in text. However, you should have at least six sources for this assignment. Well written for the most part, some minor grammatical and punctuation issues, use Grammarly to proofread. Good job, see comments in text, I look forward to seeing your final draft.
Christa Cobb
POL-201- American National Government
University of Arizona Global Campus
June 8, 2022
Dr. Baker
Introduction Comment by WDB: Two days late.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has played a major role in the evolution of employment opportunities and dynamics in the United States. Policies such as this are a result of the election and voting process in the legislative arm of the government. From the time of implementation to date, the policy has sought to establish equality by ensuring all citizens irrespective of their cultural differences are treated equally. With the racial discrimination in the ancient America and poor representation of the minorities in the legislature, such policies face delays and increased criticism particularly if it is against the interests of the majorities. The Civil Right Act was voted into law and had to experiences such challenges (Gagnon, 2020). It is for this reason that the paper seeks to determine the impact of voting and election process in the implementation of effective constitutional reforms and policies such as the Civil Right Act of 1964. Comment by WDB: ? Comment by WDB: Good topic paragraph and thesis statement.
Historical and constitutional background
The policy was passed into law on July 2, 1964, by the United States President by then, President Lyndon B. Johnson. The policy barred racial segregation in public places, allowed for the integration of institutions and other public facilities, prohibited job discrimination, and enforced the right to vote. Reconstruction-era civil rights legislation had never been as comprehensive as this one. There were no more public locations in the United States where segregation was permitted, such as courthouses and parks. Black and other minority groups can no longer be denied access to services based solely on their skin color (Rosenbaum & Schmucker, 2017).
Constitutional background
The policy formed a string constitutional background on which equality in employment and public places are adhered to. According to the policy, voting rights must be enforced by federal district courts, jurisdiction over public accommodations must be granted to the Attorney General, suits to protect constitutional rights in public institutions and public education must be authorized by the Attorney General, the Commission on Civil Rights must be extended, discrimination must be prevented in federally assisted programs must be established a Commission on Voting Rights (Martin & Brownback, 2022). Comment by WDB: Spelling.
Checks and balances
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a direct result of checks and balances, which ensured that all Americans could be heard and reflected in Congress. The Civil Rights Act would have failed without a system of checks and balances in place. These authorities, often known as branches of government, each have a specific role in the government, which is why there are three. The United States Constitution established a system of checks and balances to ensure that all of these three branches is also accountable for ensuring that the activities of the other branches are checked. If one branch had too much authority or influence, it would be unfair to the other branches. To overturn the Court's decision, Congress had the power to amend the original Act, effectively rectifying its misreading and reversing the Court's conclusion. However, against popular belief, our constitutional system of checks and balances and division of powers does allow Congress and the President to overrule a Supreme Court decision in some instances.
In the case of the policy, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission is responsible of enforcing the policy at workplaces. This includes taking actions against parties that do not adhere to the provisions enlisted in the policy. However, it has to operate within the defined scope. Any deviation from the provisions in the policy attracts other arms of the government such as the judiciary through court cases and tribunal hearings (White, 2021).
Public policy, Elections and Media
Public policy
Government or non-profit organizations often establish and implement public policy, which is an institutionalized proposal to solve real-world problems that is led by a conceptual framework and implemented through programs as an action plan in response to societal concerns. It was prohibited to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or race when hiring, promoting, or firing in this civil rights statute.
Elections
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most extensive civil rights legislation ever adopted by the United States Congress. Jim Crow segregation and racial discrimination were heavily addressed in this legislation. Twenty-fourth Amendment abolished poll taxes in 1964. As mandated by the Voting Rights Act which was passed officially in 1965 but with deep roots from the policy passed into law in 1964, the Attorney General was tasked with ensuring that African Americans had the right to vote. A major shift in the status of African Americans in the South was brought about by the 1965 Voting Rights Act of 1965 (White, 2021).
Media
As a result of the media's role in influencing public opinion, the laws that regulate our democracy are also affected. The media played a critical role in shaping public opinion during the Civil Rights Movement and motivating people to demand change. Democracy is founded on the ability to adapt.
Voting and the Election Process
The Civil Rights of 1964 was affected by the election process as voting was required in determining the implementation of the Act. That one got through, while more than 100 others were voted down. Finally, the House voted 290-130 in favor of the bill, which was supported by both parties. The policy passed following the Democrats particularly from the Southern border who voted in support of the policy. Comment by WDB: ? Not clear what this means.
Reference Comment by WDB: Good APA formatting and references…however, according to the assignment you should have at least six sources.
Gagnon, S. (2020). Giving the Equal Rights Amendment Teeth: A Proposal for Gender Equality Legislation Modeled After the Civil Rights Act of 1964. . John's L. Rev., 94, 1013.
Martin II, W. J., & Brownback, P. A. (2022). Labor and Employment. Mercer Law
Review, 73(4), 15.
Rosenbaum, S., & Schmucker, S. (2017). Viewing health equity through a legal lens: Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(5), 771-788.
White, J. V. (2021). Civil Rights Law Equity: An Introduction to a Theory of What Civil Rights Has Become. Wash. & Lee L. Rev., 78, 1889.