Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow (2004) avoided addressing whether the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance violated the First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
The compelled speech doctrine sets out that the First Amendment prevents the government from punishing a person for refusing to articulate or adhere to its messages.| The Free Speech Center
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia viewed First Amendment protections in a narrow, but sometimes libertarian, fashion. He considered himself an "originalist."| The Free Speech Center
Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, supported a free and independent press, but thought the Supreme Court got it wrong on school prayer.| The Free Speech Center
The Supreme Court used the three-pronged Lemon test for nearly four decades to evaluate whether a law or governmental activity violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. The test was largely abandoned by 2022.| The Free Speech Center
Perhaps no religious sect has had a greater impact relative to its size on expanding the First Amendment free exercise of religion than has the Jehovah’s Witnesses.| The Free Speech Center
Wallace v. Jaffree (1985) struck down a state law requiring a minute of silence in public schools. The Court said the law had a religious purpose and violated the First Amendment.| The Free Speech Center
Explore the concept of religion neutrality and its implications in Supreme Court decisions regarding the establishment clause.| The Free Speech Center
The establishment clause prohibits government from establishing a religion. It is sometimes referred to as separation of church and state.| The Free Speech Center
Governments must treat atheism like a religion for purposes of the First Amendment. The establishment clause prohibits the government from favoring religion over non-religion.| The Free Speech Center