| A | B |
|---|
| civil liberties | personal rights of citizens guaranteed by the First Amendment |
| civil liberties | freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of action guaranteed to individuals by the First Amendment |
| Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty | freedom of religion and separation of church and state |
| the establishment clause | the part of the First Amendment that keeps the government from supporting religion |
| the free exercise clause | the part of the First Amendment that prevents the government from restricting people's religious practices |
| conscientious objector | a person who refuses military service because of religious or moral beliefs |
| freedom of speech | First Amendment guarantee that Congress will not limit the free expression of individuals |
| pure speech | communication by the spoken word alone |
| symbolic speech | communicating a message with actions and objects instead of words |
| speech-plus | speech and action such as marching, singing or picketing |
| sedition | action or language that stirs up rebellion or supports overthrowing a government |
| clear and present danger | a doctrine used to decide whether danger to public welfare outweighs the right to freedom of speech |
| Smith Act | sedition law that makes rebelling or conspiring against the U.S. government illegal. |
| slander | defamation in spoken form |
| libel | defamation in written form |
| freedom of the press | First Amendment guarantee against censorship of the media |
| freedom of religion | First Amendment guarantee that the Congress will not establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise of religious beliefs |
| censorship | the curbing of ideas in speech or in writing before they are expressed |
| prior restraint | government censorship before a work is published |
| injunction | a court order that forbids a specific action |
| obscenity | material not protected by the First Amendment because it is offensive and lacks serious literary |
| mass media | sources of information that influence a large number of people |
| fairness doctrine | the FCC's standard requiring radio and TV stations to present all sides of important public issues |
| Freedom of Information Act | an act of Congress requiring the government to allow journalists and other interested persons to inspect unclassified federal records |
| sunshine law | a law requiring government agencies to hold open meetings and to notify the public of those meetings in advance |
| shield law | a law that established conditions under which journalists are not required to testify or reveal confidential sources of information |
| freedom of assembly | First Amendment guarantee which prohibits Congress from limiting the right of individuals to gather peacefully in public areas |
| heckler's veto | the ability of hostile onlookers to disrupt peaceful speech or assembly |
| defamation | false attacks on another person's character or reputation |
