Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993

Write your responses in complete sentences. Your answers to each question should include 2-3 paragraphs, 150-250 words. Be sure to carefully read each question to ensure that each component is answered with the appropriate depth and detail.

  1. Define due process; include each of the two specific types of due process and provide examples. Using examples of specific cases, indicate whether you believe these rights have been increasingly protected or compromised.
  2. In the Supreme Court Case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court ruled that “closely held for-profit companies” may enact religious exemptions as they pertain to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) provision requiring contraception coverage for their employees. In the case, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the ACA’s provision violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFA) as well as the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court in its majority decision stated that “applying the ACA’s requirement is not the least restrictive means of serving a compelling government interest.”Do you believe that the Supreme Court was correct in their ruling that closely held for-profit companies, such as Hobby Lobby, can be exempted from federal mandates or laws on First Amendment free expression grounds? Why or why not? Use the lesson notes and at least one news source for your answer.
  3. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has come under public and political scrutiny recently due to some of the methods it uses while providing airport security. Some commentators argue that these methods violate the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unlawful search and seizure. Read the linked article, “The TSA Is Invasive, Annoying, and Unconstitutional.” Summarize it, and then argue whether you believe the TSA’s methods constitute a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Your personal experiences at the airport can be included as a part of your answer if you like.
  4. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 with the intention of creating a more equal society and redressing past injustices. One result of this process was affirmative action. Briefly explain how affirmative action came about. Then, using at least one news source, answer the following questions: Do you believe that affirmative action has been successful in attaining some of the goals of the civil rights era? Should such policies remain in place today?
  5. Explain the origins of the separate but equal doctrine. Summarize the argument offered by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education against the separate but equal doctrine. Evaluate the extent to which de facto segregation leads to inequality, and provide a current example of this type of segregation.