POLS 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Equal Protection Clause, Smith Act, Stop Online Piracy Act
20 Feb 2018
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Individual freedoms by nature: protected from government, e. g. Why does the constitution have the bill of rights: most state constitutions had a list of protections guaranteed to every citizen, to achieve ratification of the constitution the federalists added the bill rights when congress convened. Did not originally apply to state governments: 14th amendment prohibited any state from depriving people form, life liberty and property, the equal protection of laws, the supreme court has slowly extended civil liberties to protection from state governments. Why haven"t permanent solutions been found: resolution often sought in the courts, requires interpretation of vague language of bill of rights, norms of society and composition of courts change, courts seek reliable test, but often fail. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof The separationist view: jefferson wrote that the first amendment built a wall of separation between church and state.
