At a time when many leading civil rights officials are obfuscating the history of civil rights in the USA, and undermining enforcement methods which have proved effective, this study challenges conventional wisdom on the genesis of civil rights legislation in the US. It seeks to advance our knowledge of the post-New Deal civil rights debates, using empirical, quantitative data to answer some of the many questions concerning the relative impact of movements, public opinion, and political leadership on civil rights-related legislation.