What is the difference between negative rights and positive rights?

Question

What's the difference between negative rights and positive rights? Can negative rights co-exist? Can positive rights co-exist? Can negative rights co-exist with positive rights?

Answer 1

A negative right is a freedom from something, and a positive right is the freedom to do something.

For example, the rights to free speech and assembly are positive rights, because they allow individuals to do something.

The right to not incriminate oneself is a negative right, or the right to not be taxed without representation in government are negative rights because they protect individuals from something that would otherwise infringe upon their natural rights (life, property, happiness, etc).

The American Bill of Rights outlines both positive and negative rights, so they can coexist.