The First Amendment, Freedom of Speech: Its Constitutional History and the Contemporary Debate

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Vikram Amar
Prometheus Books, 2009 - Law - 304 pages
This volume collects, edits and presents some of the most important classic and cutting-edge thinking on the constitutional freedom of speech. Students of law, political science, or any other person interested in understanding the basics of American self-government will be able to see the important themes, values, conflicts, and possible resolutions concerning this, our most cherished, democratic freedom.


Editor Vikram David Amar has organized the collection into three major sections: historical foundations, theoretical paradigms, and selected doctrinal battlegrounds. Within this framework, he has selected some of the most significant works that address these various themes, including: William Blackstone’s classic "Commentaries on the Laws of England" (1769) and Zacharia Chaffee’s timeless essay "Free Speech in War Time" (1919), as well as works from more contemporary constitutional giants such as Cass Sunstein’s "Free Speech Now" (1992), Alexander Meiklejohn’s "The First Amendment is an Absolute" (1961), Kathleen Sullivan’s "Political Money and Freedom of Speech" (1997), and many more influential articles.


At a time when America is trying to export democracy abroad and preserve it at home against a backdrop of international security concerns, figuring out how society should permit its citizens to identify and represent themselves and come together to deliberate collectively is arguably more crucial now than ever before.

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Contents

Series Editors Preface
9
Commentaries on the Laws of England
23
An Inquiry into the Foundations
32
Copyright

13 other sections not shown

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About the author (2009)

Vikram David Amar is professor of law at the University of California, Davis. He is the author of many books and articles on law including Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials (with William Cohen and Jonathan D. Varat), 12th edition, and Federal Practice and Procedure, Jurisdiction 3D, Vols. 17, 17A, and 17B (with Charles A. Wright, Arthur R. Miller, and Edward H. Cooper). He authors a biweekly online column on constitutional matters for Findlaw.com, the most frequently visited Web site devoted to legal matters.

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