First Amendment Rights [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia - Hardcover

Lind, Nancy S.; Rankin, Erik T.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1610692128 ISBN 13: 9781610692120

Publisher: ABC-CLIO, 2012

Synopsis

First Amendment Rights: An Encyclopedia provides both historical information and current, 21st-century topics in First Amendment issues. Volume 1 addresses the subject through the lens of past decisions and precedent, updated to include controversies between new social media and civil liberties. Volume 2 examines the current state of First Amendment rights, addressing the changes in interpretations of the First Amendment by the Roberts Court as well as in-vogue issues such as Occupy Movements as well as student rights and responsibilities in freedom of religion and speech cases. Key cases are highlighted throughout the text to further comprehension of the underlying issues and subtle complexities.

The information is presented so that readers can examine cases in the Roberts court and draw their own conclusions. Coverage is also provided of the challenges and opportunities that arise with the adoption of new technologies and their impact on the interpretations of the First Amendment.

About this title

About the Author

Nancy S. Lind, PhD, is professor of political science at Illinois State University, Normal, IL.

Erik T. Rankin is assistant to the Department Chair at Illinois State University, Normal, IL.

Reviews

Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition have always provided for lengthy, lively, and contentious conversation. However, the contemporary polarization of the American political and social scene and the birth of the digital age have given these conversations new fire. This specialized encyclopedia is a loose collection of academic essays grouped into two volumes: Volume One: Traditional Issues on the First Amendment and Volume Two: Contemporary Challenges to the First Amendment. A typical essay from the first volume, “The First Amendment and the SEC,” recaps traditional legal doctrine in this area, contrasts commercial and private speech, reviews the historical role of the SEC, cites significant legal cases, and comments on issues from the news, such as insider trading. A concise glossary of terms and a lengthy list of footnotes complete this essay. While volume 1 covers historical cases and past decisions, volume 2 provides essays on more contemporary topics addressed by the Roberts court as well as hot-button issues, such as “sexting,” student free speech, corporate First Amendment rights, and First Amendment rights especially relevant to Muslims. For example, the brief essay “Under the Veil: Muslims and the First Amendment” focuses on recent requests by Muslims for exemptions: “A Muslim policewoman in Philadelphia . . . asked for an exemption from police-uniform rules so that she could wear a Muslim headdress.” This essay continues with a very objective discussion of First Amendment law as it is applied to these types of exemption requests. This second volume concludes with an appendix of post-2008 cases (e.g., Holder, Attorney General v. Humanitarian Law Project) and a 50-page bibliography. First Amendment Rights: An Encyclopedia provides a lot of information in a very compact and readable format. However, it is more of a readable text than a strict reference encyclopedia and thus belongs in the circulating collection of an academic library. --Art A. Lichtenstein

Edition details

• Publisher: ABC-CLIO
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1610692128
• ISBN 13: 9781610692120
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 816