How do political rights and freedoms and economic rights and freedoms depend on one another?

Answer 1

To understand the relationship of a limited government to the political and economic freedoms conferred upon American citizens by their Constitution, we need to specifically identify these freedoms:

Political Rights and Freedoms

• Amendment I: Right to freedom of religion, speech, and press
• Amendment I: Right to assemble peaceably, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
• Amendment II: Right to keep and bear arms in common defense
• Amendment III: Right not to have soldiers quartered in one's home in peacetime without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war except as prescribed by law
• Amendment IV: Right to be secure against "unreasonable searches and seizures''
• Amendment V: Right in general not to be held to answer criminal charges except upon indictment by a grand jury
• Amendment V: Right not to be put twice in jeopardy for the same offense
• Amendment V: Right not to be compelled to be a witness against oneself in a criminal case
• Amendment V: Right not to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law
• Amendment V: Right to just compensation for private property taken for public use
• Amendment VI: Right in criminal prosecution to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, to be informed of the charges, to be confronted with witnesses, to have a compulsory process for calling witnesses in defense of the accused, and to have legal counsel
• Amendment VII: Right to a jury trial in suits at common law involving over $20
• Amendment VIII: Right not to have excessive bail required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted

Economic Rights and Freedoms

• Amendment V, XIV: The right or ability to enter into agreements with others. "Freedom of contract" is "a basic and fundamental right reserved to the people" by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution which prohibit "the deprivation of liberty without due process of law."

• Amendment V: The right to own and dispose of property.

  • Americans as consumers are free to buy and sell any legal product. This is based upon an economic system called free market.

  • Americans as producers are free to change service or product prices, or to sell any legal item they choose. This is another component of that economic system called free market.

  • American businesses have the freedom to compete with one another for consumers of their products. This economic system is called free competition.

  • Americans have the freedom to earn a profit. This is called profit motive.

This is what my civics book says. I take NO CREDIT for it. It all belongs to the author and producer. © 2006 Aventa Learning.