Separate-But-Equal Doctrine Essay

The history of the United States is characterized with constant political change. The definition of citizenship, who it belongs to, and the rights of different citizens has evolved. Originally, only white men were considered citizens, but the modern view of the government is that all people born in the United States are citizens, regardless of race, sex, or color. All people are required to be treated equally under the law. This change was implemented because of large social movements and interest groups. Individuals are responsible for advocating their own views and effecting change by actively participating in politics as an individual, as part of groups, and as members of communities.

The relationship between the individual and the community

is mutualistic. As social creatures, people join or create communities to fulfill some of their basic needs. While social communities fulfill an individual’s need for social interaction and personal relationships, they also help individuals by furthering their political goals. Some groups form into social movements, which the textbook describes as, “movements [that] represent demands by a large segment of the population for change in the political, economic, or social system.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 204) These social movements are a result of solidarity among communities. Social movements turn the thoughts of a group into an action by actively demanding change. The textbook also explains that new groups called, “interest groups are often spawned by mass social movements.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 204) These interest groups are born from the similar ideology found in social movements. Interest groups go beyond demanding change by directly influencing political leaders.
Interest groups are empowered by the participation of individuals. Interest groups gain strength by combining the power of many individuals. The textbook explains that, “interest groups attain a reputation for being powerful through their membership size, financial resources, leadership, and cohesiveness.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 214) By gaining more members, interest groups both create more wealth for themselves and have a greater chance of finding great leaders.
Interest groups use the power gained from the individuals in order to influence policymakers in the government. By supplying an interest group with financial capital, the interest group is able to lobby policymakers. The textbook describes lobbying, stating that, “one of the ways in which interest groups attempt to influence government policies is through campaign contributions to members of Congress who intend to run for reelection.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 203) Interest groups effectively influence policymakers through a trade; policymakers want to be elected, and interest groups can help a policymaker become reelected through campaign funding. In return, interest groups expect policymakers to enact legislation in line with the interest of the interest groups.
Post-slavery America was slow to treat ex-slaves and newly born African Americans as equal to whites. After slavery was abolished in 1865 and the 13th amendment was passed, all slaves were made free. However, it took more than 100 years for African Americans and other ethnic groups to gain equal status among an overwhelmingly white America. Three years after slaves were abolished, the 14th amendment was passed, granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born in the United States, including ex-slaves. The 15th amendment, ratified in 1870, gave citizens of all races and color the right to vote in the United States. Even with these three amendments passed and individuals’ rights guaranteed by the United States constitution, there was still social inequity that continued into the 1900s.
Discrimination against African Americans in the late 1800s and early 1900s showed an inequality in citizenship and potential for political participation. Voting barriers are one example of political discrimination against African Americans and ex-slaves. African Americans were frequently subjected to tests, taxes, and clauses that prevented many of them from being able to vote. The textbook describes on obstacle called, “the grandfather clause, which restricted voting to those who could prove that their grandfathers had voted before 1867.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 138) While citizenship and the right to vote was guaranteed to African Americans in the 14th and 15th amendment, racist whites created many obstacles, later deemed unconstitutional by courts, that prevented African Americans from voting.
African Americans were also treated under a separate-but-equal doctrine that was one of the major components of the rise of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s.

The separate-but-equal doctrine ruled that as long as African Americans were given access to institutions of equal standards, segregation would not count as a violation of African Americans’ rights and citizenship. Under separate-but-equal doctrine, African Americans didn’t have access to equal institutions, which led to several court cases. The landmark case that marked the end of the separate-but-equal doctrine was the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case in 1954. The textbook states that the court case, “established that the segregation of races in public schools violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 139) This court case can be interpreted more broadly to say that segregation as a whole was a violation under the 14th amendment. Since this court case only applied to public schooling, there was a great need for a social movement to end segregation as a whole. In the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement began as a rapid change in how African Americans were treated under the

law.
The Civil Rights movement changed the treatment of African Americans, and established equal rights for everyone regardless of race, color, or national origin.

The Civil Rights movement was characterized by a series of protests, both violent and nonviolent, leading to legislation in favor of African American and non-white rights being fully protected by the government. The textbook describes the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as, “the most far-reaching bill on civil rights in modern times, [which] banned discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 141) The Civil Rights Act banned discrimination and forced the equal treatment of African Americans. As the country continued to enact pro-African American policy, African Americans and non-whites were integrated into the core of American politics.

Women were also integrated into American politics with the right to vote under the nineteenth amendment. In 1920, the 19th amendment guaranteed that voting rights would not be denied by basis of sex. Similar to discrimination against African Americans, women slowly gained dignity through interest groups and social movements. The women’s suffrage movement was established in 1869, and over the course of five decades, the interest group effectively promoted and caused the establishment of women’s rights in the United

States.
The rights guaranteed to all American citizens established individual citizen’s power to participate in politics. According to the textbook, “there are more than ten thousand African American elected officials in the United States.” (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, p. 143) Although integration has been slow, this is proof that the actions of individuals, communities, social movements, and interest groups lead to change. However difficult and painful it may be to effect change, it is in all American citizens’ powers to do so. If an individual or community is discriminated against, it is the responsibility of both those discriminated and not-discriminated against to protect every American citizen’s right to vote.
It is evident that interest groups and social movements can cause political changes. Rights are now guaranteed under the law to citizens without discrimination based on race, sex, or color. Political changes are caused by advocacy and lobbying by individuals and interest groups. It’s an individual’s obligation to participate in the political world. Views and desires are mad into changes only when someone speaks up and makes the effort to influence policymakers. In order to influence policies, it’s an individual’s responsibility to understand the issues by becoming informed, discussing, debating, and using their power to help politicians with the same views become elected. Individuals are obligated to create the change that they think is best for themselves and their country by their own best interests and by the power given to them under our constitution.