The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes - Joseph L. Smith
35. What Does "Separation of Church and State" Mean?
The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes - Joseph L. Smith
Chris Kromphardt [+]
University of Iowa
Chris Kromphardt is an education support services manager in the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa. His research addresses judicial decision making and the determinants of attitudes toward judicial institutions.
Description
Views about the First Amendment's establishment clause and the meaning of the separation of church and state can be grouped into two broad categories: accommodationist and separationist. The justices of the Supreme Court and the decisions they reach can also be grouped into these categories. Increasingly, Supreme Court doctrine has shifted from separationist to accommodationist, in ways that affect many aspects of American life.