In general, after you finish reading and studying this chapter, you should understand the following:
- the Bill of Rights and the reasons for its addition to the Constitution
- the application of some rights in the Bill of Rights to the states via the incorporation doctrine
- the meaning of the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion in the establishment clause and free exercise clause
- the meaning of the First Amendment's guarantees of freedom of speech, press, and assembly
- the interpretation and controversy over the Second Amendment; the right to bear arms
- rights of the accused or criminal defendant's rights in the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and eighth Amendments and how the U.S. Supreme Court has expanded and contracted those rights
- the meaning of the right to privacy and how it has been interpreted by the Court
