After "Zelman v. Simmons-Harris" (2002), civil conflict over use of vouchers and taxes to purchase private education, especially in religious schools, largely remained an issue for state courts' jurisprudence. However, in 2010, it returned to the U.S. Supreme Court when Arizona taxpayers challenged the constitutionality of the state's…

This article describes a lesson in which students will examine several views expressed by the founders to understand the context for including freedom of the press in the First Amendment. Students will be asked to think about the role that the news media and the need to be an informed citizen continue to play in our democracy. Students will…

The longest lasting and most intimate interaction with government for most Americans takes place in US public schools. The Court's choice to enter into the national religious debate intensified the rhetoric and polarized many Americans into opponents and proponents of increasing religious instruction in public schools. This work narrates the…

Examines the philosophical and judicial conflicts on the U.S. Supreme Court between justices Douglas and Frankfurter. Traces their disagreements citing specific court cases. States they represented judicial activism and judicial restraint. Concludes it is possible that the country benefited from the philosophical tensions and debates generated by…

The House Judiciary Committee debates over the Articles of Impeachment during the Watergate hearings provided the unique opportunity for citizens to observe the process of congressional decision making. Emphasizing diversity, compromise, and reasoned argument, members defined their role as a combination of judge, juror, and average common-sense…

Summarizes three case studies concerning the first amendment that address: (1) whether a state-owned television station can exclude a candidate from a televised debate; (2) whether decency conditions placed on grant projects by the National Endowment of the Arts censors freedom of expression; and (3) the constitutionality of the Line Item Veto…