The Government's Speech and the Constitution Cambridge Studies on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Series

When we discuss constitutional law, we usually focus on the constitutional rules that apply to what the government does. Far less clear are the constitutional rules that apply to what the government says. When does the speech of this unusually powerful speaker violate our constitutional rights and liberties? More specifically, when does the government's expression threaten liberty or equality? And under what circumstances does the Constitution prohibit our government from lying to us? In The Government's Speech and the Constitution, Professor Helen Norton investigates the variety and abundance of the government's speech, from early proclamations and simple pamphlets, to the electronic media of radio and television, and ultimately to today's digital age. This enables us to understand how the government's speech has changed the world for better and for worse, and why the government's speech deserves our attention, and at times our concern.

1. Determining whether and when the government is speaking (and why that matters); 2. The government's speech and religion; 3. The government's speech and equality; 4. The government's speech and due process; 5. The government's speech, free speech, and a free press; 6. The government's speech and political contests; 7. Responding to the government's destructive speech; Conclusion; Index.

Helen Norton holds the Rothgerber Chair in Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado, School of Law, where she focuses on constitutional and civil rights law. Before entering academia, Professor Norton served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice.