ABSTRACT
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a perfect example of what Irving Kristol calls the "new class". In a significant way, the history of the ACLU represents the emergence of the "new class" in the twentieth century. The ACLU's finest contribution to freedom has been to assure the free circulation of ideas. Frank Carrington, executive director of Americans for Effective Law Enforcement, has labeled the ACLU as the dominant antivictim organization in the United States. The ACLU, being a strong force in the liberal community could help to bring about a renaissance of liberalism. Charles Frankel sees as "liberalism's great task" the need to balance the rights of the individual and the rights of the community. The Founding Fathers adopted the Bill of Rights as a series of provisions to protect the rights of the minority against the wishes of the majority, and to cordon off a sphere of liberty for the individual against the encroachments of the state.
