Explain how the First Amendment limits the power of the government to pass laws
a. Congress can pass no law infringing the people’s right to own firearms for the purpose of creating a militia
b. Congress can pass no law creating unreasonable searches
c. Congress can pass no law respecting or restricting religion, or laws limiting freedoms of speech, assembly, the press, or to petition the government.
d. Congress can pass no law permitting the taking of private property without compensation.
2. Identify the amendment violated in the following Supreme Court case. A student is denied the right to wear a symbol on their clothing while attending a public school.
a. the Second Amendment
b. the First Amendment
c. the Fifth Amendment
d. the Sixth Amendment
3. Which of the following is an accurate discussion of why a bill of rights for the national government might not be necessary?
a. A lengthy list of rights were already protected by the Constitution.
b. The national government has only delegated powers.
c. The national government has only reserved powers.
d. A lengthy list of rights were already protected by each state.
1. The First Amendment limits the power of the government to pass laws in several ways:
a. It prohibits Congress from passing any laws that would infringe on people's right to own firearms for the purpose of creating a militia. This means that the government cannot prohibit individuals from owning firearms for self-defense or for participating in a well-regulated militia.
b. It prohibits Congress from passing any laws that would create unreasonable searches. This means that the government cannot conduct searches or seizures without a warrant, unless there are specific circumstances that justify it.
c. It prohibits Congress from passing any laws that would respect or restrict religion, or limit freedoms of speech, assembly, the press, or the right to petition the government. This means that the government cannot establish a religion, restrict people's ability to practice their religion, limit freedom of speech or the press, or prevent people from peacefully assembling or petitioning the government.
d. It prohibits Congress from passing any laws that would permit the taking of private property without compensation. This means that the government cannot seize private property without providing fair compensation to the owner.
2. The amendment violated in the described Supreme Court case is b. the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects the right to freedom of speech and expression, which includes the right to wear symbols or express one's beliefs through clothing.
3. The accurate discussion of why a bill of rights for the national government might not be necessary is a. A lengthy list of rights were already protected by the Constitution. The Constitution already included several protections for individual rights, such as the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to a trial by jury, and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Therefore, some argued that a separate bill of rights might be redundant. However, the addition of the Bill of Rights provided additional specific protections for individual rights to ensure that they were not violated by the national government.