The Encyclopedia of the First Amendment comprehensively examines the political, historical, and cultural significance and development of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government. The first work of its kind, this new and exciting reference exclusively focuses on the most basic of the liberties provided by the U.S. Constitution.

Featuring more than 1,400 entries, the Encyclopedia traces expressive, religious, and political rights throughout U.S. history, including the colonial era. In discussing the protections afforded by the First Amendment, it examines popular culture and the arts, social movements, religious and political organizations, landmark legal cases and doctrines, important legislation, and the men and women whose actions have left a mark on the opening tenets of the Bill of Rights. It also considers the tensions between individual freedom and maintenance of political and public order, covering such issues as censorship, prisoners’ rights, immigration and security, campaign finance, and media access. Among other perennial topics addressed are abortion, evolution, public aid to parochial schools, and pornography and obscenity.

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Trial ends: December 11, 2009

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The prestigious Oxford Handbooks, now available online for the first time, provides access to over 2,000 essays from 65 print handbooks.  Covering four main subject areas (Business & Management, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religion), each handbook takes an aspect of its discipline and unpacks it, explaining the key issues, the classic and contemporary debates on those issues, and setting the agenda for how those debates might evolve.

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Trial ends: October 30, 2009

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