What are civil rights?

Civil rights refer to the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment and freedom from discrimination in many aspects of life, which includes political and social freedoms as well as equality before the law. The concept encompasses a broad range of guarantees that protect individuals' ability to participate fully in society without facing discrimination based on factors like race, gender, disability, or religion.

Option C specifically highlights these aspects of civil rights, emphasizing both the political and social dimensions. It recognizes that civil rights are not just about legal protections; they also involve the fundamental notion of equity and participation in civic life, underscoring the expectation that all individuals should have equal standing in society.

The other options fail to encapsulate the full scope of what civil rights mean. For example, rights granted only during elections do not reflect the continuous and comprehensive nature of civil rights, while local laws governing community behavior may pertain to specific regulations but do not encompass the broader principles of equality and freedom from discrimination that characterize civil rights. Legal protections against discrimination, although related, represent only a subset of what civil rights entail; thus, they are not as comprehensive as the correct answer.