---
title: "Civil Liberties Definition and Overview | Model Diplomat"
description: "Civil liberties are freedoms protecting individuals from government power, primarily found in the U.S. Bill of Rights. Essential for all citizens."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/civil-liberties"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Civil liberties are constitutionally guaranteed freedoms protecting individuals from arbitrary governmental power, chiefly enshrined in the U.
- S.
- How do civil liberties differ from civil rights?
- What is the incorporation doctrine?
- Are civil liberties absolute?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Clarence Earl Gideon's Sixth Amendment right to counsel obligated Florida to provide a lawyer, incorporating that civil liberty against the states.

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