Which freedoms are protected by the First Amendment?

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects several fundamental liberties by prohibiting the government from infringing upon them. These protections include:

• Religion: The establishment clause prevents the government from establishing an official religion, while the free exercise clause protects the right to practice one's religion without government persecution or discrimination.12
• Expression: This encompasses freedom of speech and freedom of the press, which broadly protect communication from government restriction, including political, scientific, and social discourse.13
• Assembly and Petition: The assembly clause protects the right of the people to gather peaceably, and the petition clause ensures the right to communicate grievances to government officials, including through lobbying or filing lawsuits.13

These guarantees apply to federal, state, and local government actions. It is important to note that these protections apply only to government entities; they do not restrict the actions of private employers, businesses, or organizations.4