The doctrine of _____________ prohibits laws that do not aim specifically at evils the government has a right to prevent but sweep within their ambit activities that are protected by the First Amendment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The doctrine of overbreadth states that laws should not be so broad in their scope that they infringe on protected First Amendment activities. This means that laws cannot be written in a way that sweeps in protected activities along with activities that the government has a right to prevent. For example, a law that prohibits all forms of peaceful protests in a certain area would be considered overbroad because it would prevent protected activities (peaceful protests) along with activities the government has a right to prevent (violent protests).

The Doctrine of _____________ Prohibits Laws That Do Not Aim