Civil Liberties Review

Which of the following is true about the right of free speech, as currently interpreted by the Supreme Court?

• It protects the right to express opinions even without the actual use of words

• It protects the use of language deemed obscene by the courts

• It allows citizens to disobey laws that they believe to be unjust

• It is protected from infringement by the federal government but not from infringement by state governments

In Roe v. Wade, the majority of Supreme Court justices determined that

• a constitutional right to privacy necessitated making contraceptives legal

• abortions could be performed only during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy

• the United States Constitution implies a right to privacy and thus made abortions legal

• a husband is allowed to veto his wife's decision to have an abortion

In Miranda v. Arizona, the United States Supreme Court declared that

• Illegal aliens have the same right to an education as United States citizens

• Evidence seized during an illegal search cannot be used in court

• Affirmative action programs cannot employ numerical quotas

• Police must inform criminal suspects of their constitutional rights before questioning suspects after arrest

With respect to prayer in public schools, the Supreme Court has ruled that

• State-sponsored prayer violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment

• State-sponsored prayer is permitted by the free exercise clause of the First Amendment

• Since educational policy is controlled largely by state governments, the First Amendment does not affect school policy on prayer

• The free exercise clause permits teachers to mandate silent prayer

The free exercise clause protects:

• The president from forcibly revealing private conversations with staff

• Individuals who, for religious reasons, refuse to pay Social Security taxes

• Voluntary prayer by student groups before school

• A person’s right to burn the American flag