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  1. LII
  2. U.S. Constitution Annotated
  3. Amendment I. Fundamental Freedoms

    First Amendment

    • First Amendment Overview
    • The Religion Clauses
      • Overview of the Religion Clauses
      • Historical Background
        • Introduction to the Historical Background of the Religion Clauses
        • England and Religious Freedom
        • State-Established Religion in the Colonies
        • Colonial Conceptions of Religious Liberty
        • Virginia's Movement Towards Religious Freedom
        • Continental Congresses
        • Constitutional Convention, Ratification, and the Bill of Rights
        • Early Interpretations of the Religion Clauses
      • Government Resolution of Religious Disputes
        • Government Resolution of Religious Disputes: Overview
        • Doctrinal Basis
        • Neutral Principles of Law
        • Church Leadership and the Ministerial Exception
      • Establishment Clause
        • General Principle of Neutrality
        • Accommodationist and Separationist Theories
        • Establishment Clause Tests
        • Financial Assistance to Religion
          • Financial Assistance to Religion : Overview
          • Early Cases and Everson v. Board of Education
          • Adoption of the Lemon Test
          • Application of the Lemon Test
          • Zelman and Indirect Aid
          • Denying Financial Assistance to Religion
        • Non-Financial Assistance to Religion
          • Non-Financial Assistance to Religion : Overview
          • Early Cases
          • Purpose and Effect Before Lemon
          • Lemon's Purpose Prong
          • Lemon's Effect Prong
            • Lemon's Effect Prong Overview
            • Lemon's Effect Prong and Accommodation of Religion
            • Lemon's Effect Prong and Pervasively Sectarian Institutions
          • Lemon's Entanglement Prong
          • Endorsement Variation on Lemon
          • Abandoning Lemon and Using Other Tests
            • Abandonment of Lemon
            • Coercion
            • Consideration of Historical Tradition
      • The Free Exercise Clause
        • The Free Exercise Clause Overview
        • Laws Regulating Religious Belief
        • Facially Neutral Laws that Interfere With Religious Practice
          • Facially Neutral Laws During the 1940s and 1950s
          • Facially Neutral Laws From the 1960s Through the 1980s
          • Facially Neutral Laws and Internal Government Affairs
          • Facially Neutral Laws and Current Doctrine
          • Facially Neutral Laws Regulating Prisons and the Military
          • Laws that Discriminate Against Religious Practice
      • Relationship Between the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses
      • Relationship Between Religion Clauses and Free Speech Clause
    • Free Speech Clause
      • Historical Background of Free Speech Clause
      • Procedural Matters
        • The Overbreadth Doctrine, Statutory Language, and Free Speech
        • Vagueness, Statutory Language, and Free Speech
        • Prior Restraints on Speech
        • State Action Doctrine and Free Speech
      • Content-Based and Content-Neutral Regulation of Speech
        • Content-Based Laws Restricting Speech
      • Public Forum Doctrine
        • The Public Forum
        • Public and Nonpublic Forums
        • Quasi-Public Places
      • Role of Government
        • Overview of Government Roles
        • Government Speech and Government as Speaker
        • School Free Speech and Government as Educator
        • Prison Free Speech and Government as Prison Administrator
      • Public Employee Speech and Government as Employer
        • Loyalty Oaths
        • Political Activities and Government Employees
        • Honoria and Government Employees
        • Pickering Balancing Test for Government Employee Speech
      • Advocacy of Illegal Conduct
        • Advocacy of Illegal Conduct: Overview
        • Advocacy of Illegal Conduct: Early Doctrine
        • Movement from Clear and Present Danger Test
        • Current Doctrine
      • Fighting Words, Hostile Audiences and True Threats
      • Defamation and False Statements
      • Invasions of Property
      • Overview of Obscene Speech
      • X-Rated Theater and Sex Shop Zoning
      • Child Pornography
      • Public Indecency and Nudity
      • Commercial Speech
      • Viewpoint Discrimination
        • Viewpoint Discrimination Overview
      • Government Property
        • Government Property: Early Doctrine
      • Media Regulation
      • Political Speech
        • Overview of Campaign Finance
        • Campaign Finance Contribution Limits and Source Restrictions
        • Campaign Finance Expenditure Limits
        • Campaign Finance Disclosure and Disclaimer Requirements
        • Lobbying
        • Legislative Investigations
      • Compelled Speech
        • Compelled Speech: Overview
      • Compelled Subsidization Doctrine
      • Unconstitutional Conditions on Compelled Speech
        • Unconstitutional Conditions on Compelled Speech: Overview
        • Public Employment
        • Tax Exemptions
        • Federal Funding
        • Restrictions on Editorializing
        • Selective Funding Arrangements
        • Government's Message Versus Private Speakers
        • Public Entities and Private Access
        • Conditions Exceeding the Scope of the Program
        • Requirements That Can Be Imposed Directly
      • Symbolic Speech
        • Symbolic Speech: Overview
        • The Flag
        • Public Issue Picketing and Parading
        • Leaflets and Handbills
        • Speech and Nonspeech Activity
        • Solicitation
        • Labor Union Protests and Marches
      • Freedom of Association
        • Freedom of Association: Overview
    • Freedom of Press
      • Freedom of Press Overview
      • Protection of Confidential Sources
      • Access to Government Places and Papers
    • Freedom of Assembly and Petition
      • Doctrine and Practice

U.S. Constitution Annotated Toolbox

  • Explanation of the Constitution - from the Congressional Research Service


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