Civil libertarianism

Civil libertarianism is a political outlook that prioritizes protecting individual civil liberties from government restriction or infringement, including when protecting unpopular speech or groups.

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Civil liberties: Individual freedoms protected from government interference, including freedoms of expression, association, religion, and privacy. These freedoms are the central interests civil libertarianism seeks to protect.
Freedom of speech: The liberty to express ideas without government censorship or punishment, subject to legally recognized limits. Protecting speech, including dissent, is a recurring civil-libertarian priority.
Authoritarianism: A political system or outlook that concentrates power and restricts political pluralism and individual freedoms. It represents a sharp alternative to limiting government in defense of personal liberty.
Judicial review: The power of courts to assess whether laws or government actions comply with a constitution. Courts can invalidate restrictions that violate protected liberties.
Constitutional rights: Rights that a constitution establishes or protects against government action. Constitutional guarantees often provide legal grounds for civil-libertarian claims.
Freedom of association: The liberty to form, join, and participate in groups without improper government interference. It protects collective action as well as individual expression.
Communitarianism: A political and ethical outlook that emphasizes community, shared responsibilities, and social contexts in shaping individuals. It can give collective purposes greater weight than individual-liberty claims.
First Amendment to the United States Constitution: The constitutional provision that protects religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition in the United States. It is a central legal source for civil-libertarian disputes in the United States.
Rule of law: The principle that public power must be exercised under publicly known, consistently applied laws. It constrains officials through legal rules rather than discretionary authority.
Freedom of religion: The liberty to hold, practice, or reject religious beliefs without government coercion or discrimination. Religious freedom tests whether government can impose or privilege belief.