A method by which citizens may sue members or agencies of State governments (not Federal) for violation of Federal Civil rights. State actor you point to must be responsible, generally more than negligent, of depriving you of a federal right (almost any will suffice but there are exceptions: non-practicable rights (written down but not enforced), and rights that are exclulsively enforced through a specified statutory process Section 1983 is an exception to the Exhaustion requirement If you're the prevailing party vs the gov in a section 1983 case, under Section 1988, you get reasonable attorneys fees (not the case by default in other instances). State of IN cannot be a defendant under Section 1983 ONLY APPLIES TO STATE ACTORS, NOT FEDERAL