Which organization is known for defending civil liberties and rights in the United States?

• A. NAACP
• B. AFL-CIO
• C. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• D. ADL

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is organizations that defend civil liberties and rights in the United States, especially through legal action and advocacy. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the best fit because it was founded specifically to protect the individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It uses lawsuits, policy work, and public education to defend freedoms like free speech, religious liberty, due process, and equal protection, for all Americans, across a broad range of cases and groups.

Other options play important roles too: the NAACP focuses on civil rights for African Americans; the AFL-CIO is a federation of labor unions advocating for workers’ rights; the ADL fights anti-Semitism and other bigotries and promotes civil rights, especially for targeted communities. But the ACLU is the organization most closely identified with defending civil liberties for everyone through constitutional protections.