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Amendment
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What is Amendment?

Constitutional amendments are a foundational subject in government and political science courses because they sit at the intersection of law, individual rights, and democratic governance. Amendments represent the formal mechanism through which the U.S. Constitution evolves, and studying them forces students to grapple with questions about how foundational rights are defined, challenged, and reinterpreted over time. The First, Second, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments appear with particular frequency, covering freedoms of religion and press, the right to bear arms, due process protections, and double jeopardy clauses — all of which generate ongoing legal and political debate.

Papers on this topic take a variety of approaches. Many focus on Supreme Court decisions to trace how judicial interpretation has shaped the practical meaning of specific amendments, including cases touching on freedom of the press, religious establishment, and state versus federal jurisdiction. Others adopt a policy-oriented angle, weighing competing arguments around issues like gun control, the drinking age, and gay marriage as constitutional questions. Some papers use case-study analysis — examining specific legal disputes such as South Dakota v. Dole or questions around exactions and takings law — while others engage in broader comparative arguments about how rights apply differently across federal and state systems.

A strong essay on this topic anchors its thesis in a specific amendment or clause rather than attempting to cover constitutional rights in general. Legal precedent, Congressional intent, and Supreme Court reasoning carry the most analytical weight as evidence. The most common pitfall is treating amendments as fixed and self-explanatory; effective essays instead demonstrate how their meaning is actively contested and continually shaped by courts, legislatures, and society.

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Research Paper Doctorate

Commercial speech protections and billboard advertising restrictions

¶ … First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees to us freedom of speech - promises to each citizen and resident of the United States that the government will not tell us what we can or cannot say. Right?

Essay Doctorate

Itemized deductions in federal income tax returns and IRS compliance

This essay examines the significance of itemized deductions and how they factor in with the United States Tax codes. The history of this idea is examined in the article as advice is presented to taxpayers on how to fully take advantage of these rules. The essay concludes with real-world examples of triggers associated with these deductions that increase your chances of an audit.

Essay Doctorate

The United States without the Progressive Era

What Would the U.S. Have Been Like without a Progressive Era?

Thesis Undergraduate

John Stuart Mill's libertarianism and the constraints of the U.S. Constitution

None of the issues being raised today by the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement are new, but rather they date back to the very beginning of the United States. At the time the Constitution was written in 1787, human rights and civil liberties were far more constrained than they are in the 21st Century. Only white men with property had voting rights for example, while most states still had slavery and women and children were still the property of fathers and husbands. Only very gradually was the Constitution amended to grant equal citizenship and voting rights to all, and even the original Bill of Rights was added only because the Antifederalists threatened to block ratification. In comparison, the libertarianism of John Stuart Mill in his famous book On Liberty was very radical indeed, even in 1859 much less 1789. He insisted that individuals should be left totally free to do as they pleased so long as they did no harm to others. To that extent, he would have supported the rights of OWS to protest and dissent, and been highly critical of how the authorities were suppressing the movement on the flimsiest of pretexts. As a supporter of free markets, he would also have opposed the trillions in dollars in bailout money that large banks and corporations have received from governments. On the other hand, he probably would have found the ideas of many OWS supporters too radical or socialistic, but at the same time have defended their right to assemble and demonstrate

Thesis Undergraduate

Google's content moderation decision on "Innocence of Muslims" video

It does seem that whenever there has been a lag between legislation and disruptive technology, ethics takes a backseat. Agencies admit that they are years behind where they would like to be—and where consumers think they should be. There has been some movement in the privacy arena as companies doing business on the Web voluntarily participate in programs that give consumers opportunity to opt out of tracking. Categorically speaking, Internet privacy is quite a different animal from freedom of expression on the Internet. Nevertheless, the point is taken that the temporal gap between praxis and regulation is a consistent source of difficulty and a drain on resources. As a globalized economy increasingly turns to professional information workers, the market is being altered by the proliferation of regulations that protect access to creative and intellectual property (Nakamura, 2000). Patents, copyrights, brands, and trademarks are all constructing exclusivity, which is largely temporary, but is monopolistic nonetheless (Nakamura, 2000). This wave of protective instruments is serving to erode unfettered access to markets (Nakamura, 2000).

Research Paper Masters

Religious symbol bans in American public schools: case studies

Many parents and students were confused, when a school district in Nebraska stopped a 12 years old girl, Elizabeth Carey from wearing a necklace because it resembled a rosary. Rev. Joseph Taphorn said to press that "One ought to be able to figure out whether she's trying to promote a gang," he added. "If she's not, why would she be punished for her right of religious freedom and religious expression? (Haynes)"

Research Paper Doctorate

Legal prohibition of alcohol and its effectiveness in reducing crime

How effective has the legal prohibition of alcohol been in controlling crime? A recent Department of Justice Report (U.S. Department of Justice) said that alcohol was a factor in 40% of all violent crimes and accounted…

Research Paper Doctorate

Media's responsibility for ethical reporting during national crises

¶ … media's role in time of national crisis. The writer explores what occurs in a national crisis and argues that the media has a duty to exercise caution when reporting during times of national crisis.

Paper Doctorate

Pornography and the First Amendment: defining constitutional limits

The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech can and should be extended to cover the production, dissemination, and consumption of pornography. The government has no clear definition of what constitutes "good" or "bad" pornography. However, there are clear limits to the First Amendment with regards to the use of consenting adults. When no one is harmed, pornography is a fundamental right.

Paper Undergraduate

The Patriot Act's effectiveness in counterterrorism versus civil liberties

The US government has done its best to protect the citizens after the 9/11 terrorist attack. It has done this though the Patriot Act legislation. However, many citizens have reservations about thus Act because it infringes on their privacy rather than enhancing security. This study examines the history of the Patriot Act, the criticisms and support on whether it is truly living up to expectations of the citizens.

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