This master's thesis assumes that the argument presented in "The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty" (D. G. Myers) is correct. The United States presently suffers from a social recession arising from the impoverishment of the human spirit. The thesis diagnoses four underlying causes of U.S. social ills: (1) science;…

This article discusses the constitutional amendment process. Although the process is not described in great detail, Article V of the United States Constitution allows for and provides instruction on amending the Constitution. While the amendment process currently consists of six steps, the Constitution is nevertheless quite difficult to change.…

The U.S. experiment in religious liberty has enormous significance for the United States and for the world. The challenging dilemma of living with the deepest religious differences, as it is currently being met in the United States, is explored in this essay. The point that U.S. success or failure in attempts to deal with religious liberty has…

Twenty-eight years ago three students in Des Moines, Iowa who wore black armbands to protest the war in Vietnam were suspended from school. When the 1969 landmark Supreme Court case of "Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District" brought public school pupils under the First Amendment umbrella, many educators began to…

Noting that the work of Jurgen Habermas has had an important influence on philosophy and the social sciences recently, this paper examines the implications of using Habermas's "ideal speech situation" as a criterion for deciding issues relating to the First Amendment. The paper first briefly reviews the distinctive features of critical…

The pamphlet addresses the application of the United States Constitution's First Amendment to offensive expression and expressive conduct, particularly by students, at public colleges and universities. Sections 1 through 4 summarize applicable First Amendment principles including the breadth of the First Amendment; exceptions to content-based…

Explores issues surrounding hate crime legislation and prosecution, with emphasis on motivation and first amendment issues. Hate crime legislation attempts to import the civil rights model into criminal law, but the very existence of the hate crime label raises social and political stakes in intergroup crimes. (SLD)

Analyzes two recent controversies about censorship of arts: Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs and U.S. congressional limits on funding for National Endowment for the Arts. Maintains artistic freedom can be encouraged if all segments of society learn about arts. Recommends that aesthetic education deal with these controversial issues, the social…

This lesson for grade 12 is designed to increase student awareness of the debate surrounding flag burning, the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit flag burning, and the constitutional issues involved, specifically the First Amendment. Students play the role of staff members for a U.S. Senator. They research the issue and prepare both pro…

Presents three law-related education lesson plans discussing the relationship between church and state. The first two lessons, establishment of religion and free exercise of religion, culminate in the third, a round table discussion. The students research, role play, and argue hypothetical and real court cases. (MJP)