freedom of speech

(noun)

The right of citizens to speak, or otherwise communicate, without fear of harm or prosecution.

Related Terms

Examples of freedom of speech in the following topics:

  • Freedom of Speech

    • The freedom of speech is a protected right under the First Amendment, and while many categories of speech are protected, there are limits.
    • Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions as well.
    • The freedom of speech is not absolute.
    • Freedom of speech is a closely guarded liberty in American society.
    • Explain how freedom of speech is protected by the United States Constitution

  • The First Amendment

    • The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights.
    • Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

  • The First Amendment

    • The amendment prohibits the making of any law pertaining to an establishment of a federal or state religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press , interfering with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances .
    • Clear and present danger was a doctrine adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press or assembly.
    • The Court has also recognized a series of exceptions to provisions protecting the freedom of speech.
    • For example, the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech to the general populace but the English Bill of Rights protected only free speech in Parliament .
    • Although the First Amendment does not explicitly set restrictions on freedom of speech, other declarations of rights occasionally do.

  • The "Act" of Speaking: Lies as Political Language

    • Communications are such a special type of action, if indeed they are "action" in the proper sense of the term, that they require their own version of the general expression.
    • The implications of analyzing the act of saying a particular thing in terms of goals and side effects are troubling.
    • This is not least so in the realm of politics.
    • The special importance of the act of communicating in human life is implicit in the history of the struggle for freedom of speech.
    • Organizationally, this has been embodied in the free speech clause of the First Amendment.

  • The Bill of Rights

    • The Bill of Rights is a series of limitations on the power of the U.S. government, protecting the natural rights of liberty and property.
    • As the best-known example, the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "
    • It is a series of limitations on the power of the U.S. federal government, protecting the natural rights of liberty and property including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, a free press, free assembly, and free association, as well as the right to keep and bear arms .
    • The Bill of Rights plays a key role in American law and government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and culture of the nation.
    • The First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of petition protect lobbying, including grassroots lobbying.

  • Freedom of the Press

    • The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of the press, which includes print media as well as any other source of information or opinion.
    • However, freedom of the press, like freedom of speech, is subject to some restrictions such as defamation law and copyright law .
    • Minnesota used the 14th Amendment to apply the freedom of the press to the states.
    • Freedom of the press is a primary civil liberty guaranteed in the First Amendment.
    • Indicate the role the Freedom of the Press in the U.S.

  • The Second Amendment

    • The Second Amendment to the US constitution was adopted in 1791 as part of the US Bill of Rights .
    • In the 20th century, the wording of Second Amendment has been the focus of controversy.
    • Recent Supreme Court rulings, including the District of Columbia v.
    • The First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of petition protect lobbying, including grassroots lobbying.
    • Summarize the key provision of the Second Amendment and the two rival interpretations of its application

  • Indirect Techniques

    • Grassroots lobbying, or indirect lobbying, is a form of lobbying that focuses on raising awareness for a particular cause at the local level, with the intention of influencing the legislative process.
    • The unique characteristic of grassroots lobbying, in contrast to other forms of lobbying, is that it involves stimulating the politics of specific communities.
    • The trend of the past decade has been the use of social media outlets to reach people across the globe.
    • Lobbying is protected by the First Amendment rights of speech, association, and petition .
    • The First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of petition protect lobbying, including grassroots lobbying.

  • The Constitutional Right to Petition the Government

    • The Supreme Court has ruled that petitioning the government by way of lobbying is protected by the Constitution as free speech.
    • It is protected by the Constitution as free speech; one accounting was that there were three Constitutional provisions which protect the freedom of interest groups to "present their causes to government", and various decisions by the Supreme Court have upheld these freedoms over the course of two centuries .
    • The Court rejected a broader interpretation of "lobbying" out of First Amendment concerns, and thereby affirmed the earlier decision of the appeals court.
    • Neither semantics nor syllogisms can break down the barrier which protects the freedom of people to attempt to influence other people by books and other public writings. . . .
    • Supreme Court has protected lobbying as free speech in numerous rulings since the early republic.

  • Religious Freedom

    • Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.
    • Freedom of religion is considered by many nations to be a fundamental human right.
    • In the United States, freedom of religion is a constitutionally guaranteed right provided in the religion clauses of the First Amendment.
    • Freedom of religion is also closely associated with the separation of church and state, a concept advocated by Thomas Jefferson.
    • Illustrate the principle of "religious freedom" in the United States to different scenarios