Silencing the Opposition: Government Strategies of Suppression of Freedom of Expression(SUNY series in Communication Studies)

This volume examines major challenges to the First Amendment using illustrative case studies of the various forms of governmental suppression in our history. Essays show that governmental forces have used rhetorical strategies in simple and sophisticated ways to silence opponents.By studying which strategies are effective, how they evolve, and how they are unmasked, we gain a better understanding to combat them in the future. The case studies include the crisis surrounding the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, Abraham Lincoln's suspension of Habeas Corpus during the Civil War, the Radical Republican's revenge on he South during reconstruction, the marginalization of Native Americans throughout our history, the suppression of labor unions at the end of the nineteenth century, Senator Joseph McCarthy's allegations that the government had been infiltrated by Communists at the outset of the Cold War, and Lyndon Johnson's and Richard Nixon's strategies for silencing their opponents during the Vietnam War. The editor concludes the study by comparing and contrasting the various cases and the lessons that can be drawn from them.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Craig Smith 1. The Hamiltonian Federalists Craig Smith 2. Lincoln and Habeas Corpus Craig Smith and Stephanie Makela 3. The Radical Republicans Craig Smith 4. Suppression of Native American Culture Craig Smith, Karen Rasmussen, and Stephanie Makela 5. Silencing the Union Movement Andrew Sachs 6. The McCarthy Era Craig Smith 7. Vietnam: Press, Protest, and the Presidency Sharon Downey and Karen Rasmussen Conclusion Craig Smith Bibliography Contributors Index

About the Author :
Craig R. Smith is Professor and Director of the Center for First Amendment Studies at California State University, Long Beach. He has written several books including To Form a More Perfect Union; First Amendment Rights of Commercial Speakers; Freedom of Expression and Partisan Politics; and The Diversity Principle: Friend or Foe of the First Amendment.

Review :
"This book is highly intelligent for those with an interest in the U. S. Constitution and especially the meaning and theory of the First Amendment. It is a very well written, effectively supported book that can contribute significantly to the growing body of literature on freedom of expression." -- John J. Makay, Director, School of Mass Communications, Bowling Green State University "This book has a number of especially attractive features. It achieves an understanding of suppression of freedom of expression by the national government of the United States by (1) the selection of seven crucial episodes in American history; (2) the re-telling of these stories with considerable narrative detail; (3) the interpretation of these episodes in suppression of freedom of expression not only in political, legal, and historical terms but also as rhetorical encounters, in which due attention is paid both to the expression that is being suppressed and to the rhetorical means by which that suppression is advocated, and in some cases, overthrown. This rhetorical focus gives the book its special claim to advance our knowledge." -- Thomas W. Benson, Penn State University