Part A -
1. List the rights described in the First Amendment.
2. What cases were important to freedom of speech?
3. What Amendments led to the concept of the right to privacy?
4. What is the difference between slander and libel?
5. What is the difference between Federalist and Anti-federalist?
Part B -
1. In August of 2008, a mayor of a small town arrives home and finds a package addressed to his wife on his front porch. He carries it into the house, not knowing it contained drugs. Certain traffickers had been sending packages to random people to get the drugs into the country. After the mayor carries the package into the house, SWAT and narcotics officers stormed the house, cuffing the man and his mother-in-law, and shooting the man's two dogs to death-one in the back as it fled the sound of loud noise. The officers claimed to feel threatened by the dogs. When asked to see the warrant authorizing the raid, the mayor was denied-finally viewing the warrant three days after the incident. Was the police action Constitutional? Use whatever Amendments you think are appropriate to say why or why not.
2. Double jeopardy clauses in the Fifth Amendment make it impossible for a person to be tried of the same crime he'd been exonerated from in the past. Why do you think this is important?
3. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments deal with rights not outlined specifically in the US Bill of Rights. Why do you think the writers of the Constitution felt these two Amendments were important?
4. Freedom of speech is very important to a democracy. Why do you think being allowed to voice your opinions is important?
5. Even though most people finding the burning of the American flag objectionable, it is protected under the First Amendment. Why should the right to so such a thing be protected? Explain.