Church-State Court Decisions

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution begins: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’ Together, these two provisions are commonly referred to as the ‘religion clauses.’ The ‘Establishment Clause’ prohibits government from promoting or opposing religion. The ‘Free Exercise Clause’ protects the right to believe in and practice religion.

How those eighteenth-century words govern modern Americans' lives hasn't always been uncontested. What does ‘no law’ really mean? What's the definition of ‘establishment’? Can the government ever regulate religious exercise? Should the religion clauses apply only to the federal government, or to state and local governments, too?

Questions like these are ultimately resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court, but other federal courts, and some state courts, also frequently weigh in on important church-state issues. Below, you can find summaries of many U.S. Supreme Court decisions, as well as summaries of court decisions on three featured topics: School Vouchers, Prayer in Public Schools, and Ten Commandments Displays.

• To read summaries of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, select “U.S. Supreme Court” from the drop-down box labeled “Court,” and click Submit.
• To read summaries of School Voucher decisions, select “Religious School Vouchers” from the drop-down box labeled “Issue Category,” and click Submit.
• To read summaries of Prayer in Public Schools decisions, select “Prayer in Public Schools” from the drop-down box labeled “Issue Sub Category,” and click Submit.
• To read summaries of Ten Commandments Display decisions, select “Religious Symbols on Public Property” from the drop-down box labeled “Issue Sub Category,” and click Submit.