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First Amendment

The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law

Marketplace of Ideas

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Full-Text Articles in Law

§230 And Tinfoil Hats: What Conspiracy Theories Teach Us About The Marketplace Of Ideas And Online Speech, Connor B. Flannery Jan 2023

§230 And Tinfoil Hats: What Conspiracy Theories Teach Us About The Marketplace Of Ideas And Online Speech, Connor B. Flannery

Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology

Famously imputed into First Amendment jurisprudence by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Marketplace of Ideas is a foundational paradigm in free speech theory. However, current trends in social discourse suggest the Marketplace has crashed. Conspiracy theories illustrate this crash as a story of unintended consequences and, paradoxically, a consequence of judicial and legislative efforts to prevent it. Acknowledging the popularity and widespread use of the internet and social media, I explore solutions to rejuvenate the Marketplace of Ideas and better align its prominence in First Amendment doctrine with the reality of the current speech landscape.


Deepfake Videos: When Seeing Isn't Believing, Holly Kathleen Hall Jan 2018

Deepfake Videos: When Seeing Isn't Believing, Holly Kathleen Hall

Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology

Videos, known as deepfakes, use readily available software to create a work that shows people saying and doing things they may never have uttered or engaged in. The technology making the videos appear very authentic is advancing at such a rate that people may not be able to detect if the videos are fact or fiction. Given the hasty acceptance of other forms of fake news in society, deepfake videos have the ability to affect the nature of information the public receives about candidates and policies. This study examines the potential use of deepfake videos in the democratic process, analyzes …


House Of Cards: How Rediscovering Republicanism Brings It Crashing Down, Jonathan E. Maddison Jun 2015

House Of Cards: How Rediscovering Republicanism Brings It Crashing Down, Jonathan E. Maddison

Catholic University Law Review

Using Frank Underwood’s maniacal political journey in the Netflix series House of Cards as an example of what is wrong with American politics, this article argues that the Supreme Court’s misapplication of First Amendment principles in Citizens United and other key campaign finance cases plays a large and problematic role. Providing an extensive historical overview of republicanism and First Amendment jurisprudence, this article suggests that a return to republican ideals, while not perfect, is both the solution and proper tool of analysis to be used by the Supreme Court for campaign finance cases and beyond.