The Disappearing First Amendment

The standard account of the First Amendment presupposes that the Supreme Court has consistently expanded the scope of free speech rights over time. This account holds true in some areas, but not in others. In this illuminating work, Ronald J. Krotoszynski, Jr acknowledges that the contemporary Supreme Court rigorously enforces the rules against content and viewpoint discrimination for those who possess the wherewithal to speak but when citizens need the government's assistance to speak - for example, access to public property for protest - free speech rights have declined. Instead of using open-ended balancing tests, the Roberts and Rehnquist Courts have opted for bright line, categorical rules that minimize judicial discretion. Opportunities for democratic engagement could be enhanced, however, if the federal courts returned to the Warren Court's balancing approach and vested federal judges with discretionary authority to require government to assist would-be speakers. This book should be read by anyone concerned with free speech and its place in democratic self-government.

Author: Ronald J. Krotoszynski Jr
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 10/03/2019
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.50lbs
Size: 9.27h x 6.37w x 1.03d
ISBN: 9781108481540

Review Citation(s):
Choice 04/01/2020

About the Author
Krotoszynski Jr, Ronald J.: - Ronald J. Krotoszynski, Jr teaches and writes about constitutional law, administrative law, First Amendment, and comparative constitutional law, with a particular focus on the First Amendment and freedom of expression. He is the author of three books, including Privacy Revisited (2016), Reclaiming the Petition Clause (2012), and The First Amendment in Cross-Cultural Perspective (2006). He has published works in leading law reviews and is the co-author of two casebooks, First Amendment: Cases and Theory (3rd edition, 2017) and Administrative Law (4th edition, 2017).