Also known as the Title of Nobility Clause, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits any person holding a government office from accepting any present, emolument, office, or title from any "King, Prince, or foreign State,"...
U.S. CONSTITUTION
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Overview
Equal Protection refers to the idea that a governmental body may not deny people equal protection of its governing laws. The governing body state must treat an individual in the same manner as others in similar conditions and...
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The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits...
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The Latin translation of ex post facto is “from a thing done afterward.”
In a legal context, ex post facto is most typically used to refer to a criminal statute that punishes actions retroactively, thereby criminalizing...
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Executive Power: An Overview
In its first three articles, the U.S. Constitution outlines the branches of the U.S. Government, the powers that each branch contains, and the limitations to those powers. Article II outlines the duties of the...
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Fighting words are words meant to incite violence such that they may not be protected free speech under the First Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court first defined them in Chaplinsky v New Hampshire (1942) as words which "by their very...
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Overview
The Fourteenth Amendment contains a number of important concepts, most famously state action, privileges & immunities, citizenship, due process, and equal protection—all of which are contained in Section One. However, the Fourteenth...
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Free Exercise Clause refers to the section of the First Amendment italicized here:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...
The Free Exercise Clause reserves the right...
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Overview
Fundamental rights are a group of rights that have been recognized by the Supreme Court as requiring a high degree of protection from government encroachment. These rights are specifically identified in the Constitution (especially...
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Overview:
The power to collect income tax is found in the Constitution of the United States. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 (Also known as the Taxing and Spending Clause) sates: “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties...