A study conducted by Public Agenda Foundation, in partnership with the National Constitution Center, examined what typical adults know and believe about the U.S. Constitution, probed what they understand their rights and civic responsibilities to be, and reported their views on the document's importance and relevance in their lives today. The…

This ERIC Digest examines (1) treatment of the U.S. Constitution in the curriculum of secondary schools, (2) public opinion and knowledge about the Constitution, and (3) guidelines for improvement of education on the Constitution. Although included in nearly every secondary school curriculum, education on the U.S. Constitution has suffered from…

Offers seven reflections on the First Amendment and related issues by attorneys, a professor, project directors, and a university president. Highlights an activity where pairs of students prepare either a pro or con argument for each of the seven excerpts and then participate in a debate. (CMK)

Discusses whether the imposition of capital punishment on an individual for a crime committed as a juvenile constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Explores the crimes of Kevin Stanford and David Allen who were 16 and 17 respectively when they each committed murder. (CMK)

Presents a lesson where secondary students learn about First Amendment rights. Expounds that the students conduct and analyze a survey on First Amendment rights and then compare their results with those from the national survey conducted by the Freedom Forum. Includes a student handout on conducting a survey and also the survey itself. (CMK)

The Supreme Court clearly bases the creation of new rules on its own personal predilections not by the phrases of the Constitution nor in terms of the expressed intentions of those who wrote the Constitution. The court might not be so popular if people knew what it is really doing. (RM)

Discusses the Freedom Forum poll on the First Amendment that was conducted by telephone between July 17 and August 1, 1997. Expounds that the Freedom Forum intended to depict the opinions within the United States concerning the First Amendment and to trace changes in opinion. Describes the results in detail. (CMK)

Traces the development of the judicial branch and arguments of Anti-Federalists and Federalists about the Supreme Court's proper sphere and role. Maintains that the Court possesses force, will, and consistent political support. Contends the public evinces more faith in this branch than the other two. (TRS)

The goal of the Hearst survey was to measure the public's knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. This report is divided into three sections: (1) a report on the survey in the form of an address to the National Conference of Bar Presidents; (2) the survey findings; and (3) the survey methodology. The survey itself, in which 1,004 respondents were…

The necessity for candidates for public office to gather money in order to mount effective campaigns has raised concerns that campaign contributions may give some individuals and groups improper influence on the selection of public officials and the making of public policy. Part of this concern stems from the pluralist theory that maintains that…