First list is the students who may opt out of one exam. Please let me know in writing (not by email) which exam you wish to cancel.

Second list is the students who are excused from the final exam based on their grade on the practice AP.

Following Weeks v. U.S. (summarized again here) the Court decided additional cases that shaped the level of protection individuals could expect as against search & seizure by the police.

The following free press cases describe the historic approach to the First Amendment, starting before the Constitution's inception with the Zenger Trial in 1735.  The first issue in free press cases is whether the state is attempting to suppress speech because it offers a different political point of view. Such attempts to suppress speech before it occurs--called "prior restraint"--are viewed with great skepticism by the Court because it has a "chilling effect" on political dialogue, and thus on democracy.

The second issue that comes under Court scrutiny is whether speech must be accurate and true to receive First Amendment protection. When does political opinion or even reporting of political news become libel?  Is libelous speech protected?  To what standard should we hold print or electronic journalism with respect to accuracy?

Finally, what free press standards are appropriate in supervised environments such as schools?  Do students leave their right to publish what they want at the "schoolhouse gates"? Can the state claim a compelling interest in censoring what tender minds see within their school environment? How about what children are allowed to check out from the school library?

The remaining material we will cover in AP Government concerns civil liberties and civil rights. The corresponding textbook chapters for this material are O'Connor / Sabato, Chapters 5 & 6. We will cover both the cases important to know for the AP, and many more that I think you will find interesting. Understanding how American law, customs and societal norms change through case law has both intrinsic value, and teaches a valuable analytic process.

A caveat: While I find this material extremely interesting and useful, the College Board typically limits the amount of caselaw you need to know for the exam to a handful of cases.  With that in mind, I will be sure to provide you will specific lists of the cases you will be tested on, and you should focus on those cases over the reading assignments.  Think of the reading as additional background, with the primary material coming from lectures and the outlines that I will post online or give to you in class.  I will not test you on cases in the reading that I do not cover in class.

Keep in mind that if you wish to report out a case in class for extra credit, you should let me know at least a day in advance. Prepare by reading the case opinion (not just a brief summary) and be ready to discuss the following:

      1. The facts of the case. What happened between the parties in this case?

      2. What question (issue) came before the court? This should be phrased as a question. For example: "Under the First Amendment, may a public high school permissibly add a prayer at the beginning of its graduation ceremony?"

      3. The Court's holding and analysis. What did the Court decide, and how did the it justify its ruling?