2019 State of the First Amendment Survey Finds Broader Awareness of First Amendment Freedoms, But 29% Think It Goes Too Far Show Infographic: 2019 State of the First Amendment Survey findings (download PDF) The First Amendment Center of the Freedom Forum Institute announced the results of its annual State of the First Amendment survey, which discovered that the public has generally become more knowledgeable about rights under the First Amendment over the past year. Seventy-one percent of respondents were able to correctly name at least one First Amendment right, nearly a 20 percent increase compared to 2018 survey results. The survey has been published since 1997 and was conducted in partnership with Fors Marsh Group, an applied research company. Each year, this survey reveals Americans’ changing attitudes toward the essential five freedoms of the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Review the complete survey here. Despite broader public awareness, many misconceptions surrounding the First Amendment remain prevalent today. Sixteen percent of those surveyed said that the right to bear arms was guaranteed by the First Amendment, up from 9 percent in 2018, while two-thirds (65 percent) agreed that social media companies violate users’ First Amendment rights when they ban users based on objectionable content they post. Of concern for First Amendment advocates is that more people agreed that the First Amendment went too far, rising to 29 percent from 23 percent in 2018 — emphasizing the importance of work to increase public understanding of how the freedoms of the First Amendment are applied in daily life, and how they help define what it means to be an American. On a positive note, most respondents (77 percent) agreed that misinformation on the internet and the spread of fake news is a serious threat to democracy, and most agreed it is important for our democracy that the news media act as a watchdog on government (72 percent). This improved trust in journalism encourages champions of the press across the country. Additionally, many support the First Amendment rights of student journalists as well as the larger media industry. Two-thirds (64 percent) of respondents agreed that public school students do not need approval from school authorities to report on controversial issues in their school newspapers. Also enlightening were reactions to questions surrounding religious freedom. Support for the First Amendment rights of religious minorities has increased by 25 percent in the past two years. Now 82 percent of those surveyed agree that the freedom to worship extends to all religious groups, even those considered extreme or fringe. Overall, the results of 2019’s survey showed continued efforts to educate the public about its First Amendment freedoms are critical, and that increased awareness can result in increased public support. Survey conducted and supported by Fors Marsh Group. Additional support for this survey was provided by Phil and Joan Currie.
Primary tabsCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Learning Objectives
10.1 Activity: Five Freedoms
Purpose Process Read the text of the Primary Source: First Amendment as a class and identify the five freedoms. Highlight, circle, and label the key freedoms and key information along with your classmates. Your teacher will lead you through a discussion on the First Amendment as a group. In small groups answer the following questions:
Be prepared to discuss your answer as a class. Launch The First Amendment As a class, have the students identify the five freedoms, circle them, and label them for the whole group. Guiding Question:
Discuss examples of how someone might exercise their First Amendment rights. This does not have to be exact, and some informal examples are great, as well. Possible examples:
Activity Synthesis Guiding Questions:
Activity Extension (optional) Constitution 101 Resources 10.2 Video Activity: Big Ideas Behind the First Amendment
Purpose Process Then, complete the Video Reflection: The First Amendment worksheet. Identify any areas that are unclear to you or where you would like further explanation. Be prepared to discuss your answers in a group and to ask your teacher any remaining questions. Launch
Activity Synthesis Activity Extension (optional) Constitution 101 Resources 10.3 Activity: Religion Clauses
Launch
Activity Synthesis
Large Group Discussion: Hypos Kennedy Case Scenario(s):
Activity
Extension (optional)
Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources 10.4 Activity: Speech Quotation Analysis
Purpose Process First Amendment: Speech Clause and the Press Clause
Analyze the First Amendment Quotes provided to you and explore longer excerpts in the Founders’ Library to better understand the context for them and the development of free speech and a free press in America. In your group, complete the following tasks on the Activity Guide: Speech Quotation Analysis worksheet.
Think about the big ideas from the First Amendment instructional video. Draw any connections to the four First Amendment principles highlighted in the video. Explain the connections. As a reminder, here are the four big ideas:
Be prepared to share key point(s) and draw connections to what you explored in the videos and primary sources. Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources 10.5 Activity: Assembly and Petition
Purpose Process Review your responses with a classmate who examined the same primary source and be prepared to share with your class the connection to assembly and petition. Launch
Activity Synthesis
Note for the class when there are similarities between groups that had the same primary source and differences. Ask students if they can find any connections between these sources and a modern day debate in our country. Activity Extension (optional) Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources Constitution 101 Resources 10.6 Activity: Exit Ticket Reflection
Process Remember the rule from Brandenburg v. Ohio: Generally speaking, the government may punish if it is intended to and likely to cause imminent lawless action. In this activity, you will reflect on whether such a speech-protective rule works in the age of social media. Read this article from The Atlantic by Jeffrey Rosen: Elon Musk Is Right That Twitter Should Follow the First Amendment. Write a short paragraph in response to the following question: Do you think that social media companies should follow the same guidelines of the First Amendment as the government does? As a reminder, social media companies do not have to follow standard First Amendment rules because the First Amendment only applies to the government, not to private companies, which can create their own guidelines or policies with respect to how their platform is used and how their business is run. List three pros and three cons as part of your short paragraph response. 10.7 Test Your Knowledge
Purpose Congratulations for completing the activities in this module! Now it’s time to apply what you have learned about the basic ideas and concepts covered. Process Complete the questions to test your knowledge. Launch This activity will help students determine their overall understanding of module concepts. It is recommended that questions are completed electronically so immediate feedback is provided, but a downloadable copy of the questions (with answer key) is also available. Knowledge Check Constitution 101 Resources |