State of the First Amendment 2005 [United States]

Produced By: First Amendment Center

Funding Agencies/Sponsors:

• First Amendment Center
• American Journalism Review

Author: The First Amendment Center

Abstract (CPANDA): The State of the First Amendment survey, conducted annually (since 1997, except for 1998) for the First Amendment Center, examines public attitudes toward the freedoms of speech, press, and religion and the rights of assembly and petition. Core questions, asked each year, include awareness of First Amendment freedoms, overall assessments of whether there is too much or too little freedom of speech, press, and religion in the U.S., levels of tolerance for various types of public expression (such as flag-burning and singing songs with potentially offensive lyrics), levels of tolerance for various journalistic behaviors, attitudes toward prayer in schools, and level of support for amending the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning or defacement. Additional (non-core) questions asked in the 2005 survey include attitudes toward religious freedom in the workplace, freedom of expression in the public schools, the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, the confidentiality of library records, and government's ability to restrict various types of content in public broadcasts.

Methodology (CPANDA) : New England Survey Research Associates conducted a total of 1,003 telephone interviews with a random national sample of adults ages 18 and over, between May 13 and 23, 2005.