AVERT YOUR EYES: ART, CENSORSHIP, AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT (IN-PERSON)

This course will explore whether some types of art (e.g., those containing political speech) deserve more First Amendment protection than others. And how has the Supreme Court applied the First Amendment to obscenity that is “art”? We’ll also examine public funding for the arts. When it holds the purse strings, does the government have the right to control the content of the art being created? Finally, we’ll consider President Trump’s unprecedented efforts to dictate the content provided by various cultural institutions. Does the executive branch have that authority?