U.S. Constitution study guide: Difference between revisions

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* known collectively as the "Bill of Rights" (BOR)
* known collectively as the "Bill of Rights" (BOR)
* BOR protects certain individual rights from "infringement" by the federal government
* BOR protects certain individual rights from "infringement" by the federal government
* the essential BOR protection is of individual belief and expression in speech, religion, press, assembly & petition
* the BOR does not establish those rights, it protects rights that already exist
* the BOR does not establish those rights, it protects rights that already exist
** instead, it prohibits the government from violating those rights  
* instead, it prohibits the government from violating those rights  
Issues, problems & limits:
Issues, problems & limits:
* as originally enacted and interpreted by the Courts, the BOR did not apply to the states
* as originally enacted and interpreted by the Courts, the BOR did not apply to the states
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'''{{#tip-text:[Amendment 1 overview]|First Amendment
'''{{#tip-text:[Amendment 1 overview]|First Amendment
* = most commonly known of the BOR, but also misunderstood
* the essential 1st Amendment protection is of individual belief and expression
* while these rights are protected they are not absolute
** = speech, religion, press, assembly & petition
* i.e., there are exceptions to when Congress can infringe upon them
* while these rights are protected from government infringement, they are not absolute (not 100% protected)
* i.e., there are exceptions to when government can infringe upon them
* as per the above, those exceptions are generally related to the public safety or interest}}'''
* as per the above, those exceptions are generally related to the public safety or interest}}'''