Reviewing Key Terms
From the following list, choose the term that fits each situation described.
A. shield laws
B. pure speech
C. prior restraint
D. libel
E. heckler’s veto
F. seditious speech
G. picketing
H. symbolic speech
___
E 1. Spectators threaten violence against an unpopular
demonstration and, in order to keep peace, authorities
break up the demonstration.
___
C 2. A government official tells a reporter that she cannot
publish a story that might compromise national
security.
___
H 3. A group burns an American flag to show its objection
to a government policy.
___
D 4. A newspaper publishes an untrue story that damages
the reputation of a local resident.
Reviewing Key Terms
From the following list, choose the term that fits each situation described.
A. shield laws
B. pure speech
C. prior restraint
D. libel
E. heckler’s veto
F. seditious speech
G. picketing
H. symbolic speech
___
G 5. Animal rights activists parade outside a store that sells
furs and attempt to convince customers not to enter
the establishment.
___
F 6. An individual urges a group to fight the police rather
than obey a police order to disperse.
___
B 7. A person stands in front of a group and states her
opinion on an issue.
___
A 8. A reporter is protected against being forced to
disclose a source of information in court.
Recalling Facts
1. List four freedoms the First Amendment protects.
It protects freedom of religion, freedom of
speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of
the press.
2. List four examples of how religion remains part
of government.
Possible answers: Most government officials
take their oaths of office in the name of God.
The nation’s coins carry the motto “In God We
Trust.” The Pledge of Allegiance contains the
phrase “one nation under God.” Daily sessions
of Congress open with a prayer.
Recalling Facts
3. Identify kinds of speech the First Amendment
protects and kinds it does not protect.
It protects pure speech and symbolic speech. It
does not protect seditious speech, defamatory
speech, or “fighting words.”
4. How might freedom of the press interfere with
an individual’s right to a fair trial?
The press might print or broadcast information
that might influence witnesses’ testimony,
prejudice jurors or prospective jurors, or
otherwise influence the trial’s outcome.
Recalling Facts
5. Why may government require that groups first
obtain permits to parade or demonstrate?
Permits are required so that authorities can
make arrangements for the public’s welfare,
safety, and protection.
Understanding Concepts
1. Civic Participation Analyze the Supreme
Court’s decision in Gitlow v. New York. How did it
support the intent of the Fourteenth Amendment
to define citizenship and civic participation?
Possible answers: The Court’s decision that
freedom of speech is a basic, undeniable right
promotes an atmosphere in which citizens can
speak their minds about issues that matter to
them, but cannot advocate the violent overthrow
of the government. The ruling determined that
no state government could deny basic rights
and liberties to any person.
Understanding Concepts
2. Civil Liberties Why did the court treat a
Minneapolis newspaper differently than a
Hazelwood school newspaper?
Answers may vary, but students should note
that school officials are responsible for activities
that take place on school property and may
regulate school curriculum and publications,
whereas the Minneapolis newspaper was
privately published and free from government
censorship and prior restraint.
Critical Thinking
1. Demonstrating Reasoned Judgment Should
the First Amendment protect those who publish
stolen government documents? Explain.
Answers will vary, but should include references
to Supreme Court decisions on this issue, such
as the Pentagon Papers case. Students should
attempt to balance the interests of the national
security and government suppression of
embarrassing information.
Critical Thinking
2. Recognizing Ideologies The Court ruled out
laws requiring the teaching of creationism, but
not the teaching of creationism itself. Does
teaching creationism in public schools serve to
“endorse a particular religious doctrine”? Explain.
Answers will vary, but should address questions
such as the following: Can an individual teacher
present creationism objectively? If creationism
is taught, is it presented as a specific religious
doctrine? What evidence is presented?
Critical Thinking
3. Making Comparisons Use a graphic organizer
like the one below to compare the three tests for
limiting seditious speech.
relaxes limits: preferred position;
sets standard: clear and present danger;
toughens limits: bad tendency.
Interpreting Political Cartoons Activity
1. Whom do you think the person in the cartoon is
representing? Why?
The cartoon is representing the Framers of the
Constitution, because his clothing, hairstyle, and
writing materials suggest the time when the
Constitution was written.
Interpreting Political Cartoons Activity
2. What is this person doing?
He is drafting the Constitution or the Bill
of Rights.
Interpreting Political Cartoons Activity
3. What do his thoughts suggest about the nature
of an individual’s constitutional rights?
They suggest how the nation’s Founders had to
create a balance between freedom and rights
and the limits to them.
What are the three major religions
practiced in the United States today?
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism