The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech without government interference.

Two clauses of the first amendment guarantee freedom of religion.The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from passing laws that establish an official religion or show preference for one religion over another.The Court, however, declared some government activities related to religion to be constitutional, such as providing bus transportation for parochial school students and allowing \"Sunday rest laws\" to be enforced.The free exercise clause prohibits the government, in most cases, from intervening in people\'s religious practice.

Freedom of expression includes the rights to freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, and of petition (which is the right that allows citizens to claim compensation from the government for wrongs).It also includes the implied rights to freedom of association and belief.The Supreme Court of the United States considered that the scope of these rights applies to the federal government, although only Congress is expressly mentioned.In addition, the Court interpreted the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to protect the rights enumerated in the First Amendment from intervention by state governments.

The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right to freedom of speech.This right allows individuals to express themselves without government intervention or restriction.The Court requires the government to provide a strong justification for intervening.For content-neutral laws, a less stringent test applies.The Court also recognized that the government can prohibit any expression that disturbs the peace or provokes violence.The right to freedom of speech includes other ways of communicating a message.

The right to freedom of the press allows people to express themselves through a publication or other means of dissemination.It does not give members of the media any special rights or privileges that citizens in general do not have.

The right of assembly allows people to come together for peaceful and legal purposes.The Court openly acknowledged that the rights to freedom of association and belief are implicit in the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments.Freedom of assembly does not include a right of association.The government can prohibit people from knowingly associating with others to engage in and promote illegal activities.

The right of association prohibits the government from requiring a group to register or disclose the identity of its members.Nor can you deny people official benefits for belonging or having belonged to a certain group.The Court established that there are exceptions to this rule: these are cases in which the government\'s interests to disclose or record are considered sufficient not to respect the rights of the first amendment.

The right of petition guarantees the right to claim compensation from the government for violations of rights through litigation or another measure ordered by the government.Along with the right of assembly, it allows people to come together in order to obtain changes in government. Open Link.