11:15A-12:30P  MW  TV 245
2:30-3:20P   W   LI 451 (Discussion)

Contrary to what some may believe, the protection of free speech by the
First Amendment is not absolute. Government attempts to punish or restrict
certain kinds of speech all the time, and sometimes when those
restrictions are challenged in court, the court approves of the
restrictions. After taking this course, you'll understand why this happens
in a country that supposedly guarantees free speech.

We'll start the course by reading some of the philosophers that first
spoke about the benefits of free speech, and then we'll look at some of
the contemporary criticisms of the concept. Next, we'll study most of the
exceptions to free speech in the United States, including speech that
incites imminent lawless action, obscene speech, and speech that violates
another person's privacy. Throughout the course you'll practice your
analytical abilities and critical thinking skills by applying what you've
learned about free speech to new situations. For example, based on what
you learn about restricting speech on a radio station, how would the
government react to the same speech on the internet?

Class instruction includes lecture, guest speakers, pertinent videotapes,
and discussion. During the class, you'll write several in-class "pop"
essays plus two research papers on a free-speech topic of interest to you.
You'll also do at least one oral exercise such as a debate or a moot court
argument. The course concludes with a comprehensive final examination.

The Honors discussion section will feature more in-depth analysis of the
issues and a closer inspection of the most important Supreme Court cases
dealing with free speech issues. Honors students will not necessarily do
more work than the rest of the class (although some additional reading
will be required), but the level of discussion and analysis will be
significantly more sophisticated.

After taking this course, you'll understand the boundaries of free speech
in the United States. More importantly, you'll be able to critically
assess government attempts to restrict free speech in the future.