Encyclopedia Of First Amendment Set: Encyclopedia of The First Amendment (Vols. I & 2) [Hardcover]

John Vile (Author), David Schultz (Author), David Hudson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0872893111 | ISBN-13: 978-0872893115 | Edition: 1

From public aid to parochial schools to censorship of library books, Americans are intensely interested in their expressive rights of speech, press, assembly and religion.  They are also concerned about censorship, tolerance of pornography and obscenity, and about their security in a post 9-11 world.  In the first work of its kind, this new and exciting two-volume reference comprehensively examines all the freedoms in the First Amendment, including free speech, press, assembly, petition, and religion. Encyclopedia of the First Amendment covers the political, historical, and cultural significance of the First Amendment. It provides exclusive, singular focus on what most people consider the essential elements of the Bill of Rights and the basic liberties that Americans enjoy.   Arranged in traditional A to Z encyclopedia format, this work traces themes like expressive rights in American political and legal history, in American political thought and social movements, in political and popular culture, and in the arts, along with the classic tensions between freedom of the individual and maintenance of political order.  The set also features a chronology, seven introductory essays covering the core rights and liberties, a bibliography, and subject and case indexes. Additional tables of content give readers easy ways to find entries by topic or case.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Provocative, divisive, and sometimes even threatening, First Amendment issues have been at the forefront of civic discourse since the founding of the nation. Today is no different, with the U.S. Supreme Court hearing a challenge to the Federal Communication Commission’s decision to penalize television networks for airing “fleeting expletives,” churches testing IRS regulations prohibiting political campaigning, and states considering legislation to regulate cyber bullying by classmates. Encyclopedia of the First Amendment is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn more about broadcast regulation, the establishment of religion clause, students’ rights, or a myriad of other topics involving the First Amendment and its political, cultural, and legal significance. The 1,400 topical entries that form the core of the work appear in traditional A–Z format and range from 250 to 1,500 words depending on the significance or complexity of the subject. All entries are signed, include cross-references, and cite at least one primary or secondary source. Relevant court decisions, laws, governmental entities, organizations, and people who have been integrally involved with the development and interpretation of the First Amendment are covered, along with critical legal concepts and methods of interpretation. Issues ranging from abortion protests to wiretapping are discussed. The rights of prisoners, students, members of the military, teachers, and reporters are covered, as are concepts such as Community standards and Prior restraint.  The encyclopedia is packed with well-designed reader aids, including alphabetical and topical tables of contents, a case table of contents, a foreword by the founder of the First Amendment Center, a chronology that begins in 313 with Emperor Constantine’s extension of religious toleration to Christianity, and seven introductory essays. These essays provide an overview of each of the provisions of the amendment and discuss the application of the First Amendment to the states, the amendment’s influence worldwide, and its future. Along with the foreword, they help the reader appreciate the history, development, and importance of First Amendment freedoms and the ongoing challenges and threats to them. The work concludes with a list of online resources, a bibliography, and thorough case and subject indexes. Highly recommended for academic, public, and law libraries. --Janice Lewis

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1464 pages
• Publisher: CQ Press; 1 edition (September 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872893111
• ISBN-13: 978-0872893115
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,041,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Schultz is professor in the School of Business at Hamline University and at the University of Minnesota Law School where he is a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Law and Politics. Professor Schultz is the author/editor of 25 books and more than 80 articles on topics including election law, American politics, eminent domain, constitutional law, public policy, legal and political theory, and the media and politics. David is a former host of "Minnesota Matters," on Air America Minnesota Radio, and he is a nationally-recognized expert on political ethics, money and politics, political participation, and land use law. He has been a frequent commentator on television, radio, and in over 100 domestic and international newspapers and periodicals, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Today Show (NBC), MSNBC, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, Cox News Service,, Time, Newsweek, Radio Free Europe, National Journal, Congressional Quarterly, La Nouvelle Observateur, L'Express, National Public Radio Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Chicago Tribune. David blogs at http://schultzstake.blogspot.com/ .