Civil liberties, civil rights and the presidency are three intertwined concepts that have a profound impact on every individual in the United States. Understanding these concepts and how they affect our lives is essential for everyone, as well as understanding how the current president influences them.

Civil liberties refer to a set of fundamental rights that citizens should be free to exercise without interference from the government or other individuals. These include rights such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press and petition; due process and equal protection under law; privacy; rights to travel; voting rights; freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures; etc. The Bill of Rights is perhaps the most important document outlining our civil liberties, although there are other laws at both federal and state levels that also govern many aspects of civil liberty protection in this country.