Safeguarding Individual Rights and Freedoms

Introduction
The Constitution protects an individual’s rights and freedoms by limiting the power of the government. This helps protect an individual’s rights of autonomy, privacy, liberty, and property. Without these protections, an individual’s rights could be disregarded and the good of the general population would consistently take precedence.
This week you will examine the Constitution’s role in safeguarding individual rights and freedoms and how that relates to public health policy and law. Through examining Supreme Court public health cases, you will explore the reasoning behind limiting the power of government to protect the public’s health; you will also consider ways in which public health practices, at times, can violate individual freedoms.
Objective
Students will:
Evaluate the importance of protecting individual rights and freedoms such as autonomy, privacy, liberty, and property in the development of public health policy and practice