Reclaiming the petition clause : seditious libel, "offensive" protest, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances / Ronald J. Krotoszynski, Jr.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-305) and index.

The growing marginalization of dissent and the new seditious libel -- The growing loss of public space for collective expression of dissent and the failure of contemporary First Amendment doctrine to address this problematic phenomenon -- Security as a cellophane wrapper : deconstructing the government's security rationale for marginalizing public dissent and dissenters -- The right of petition in historical perspective and across three societies -- The jurisprudential contours of the petition clause : an examination of the potential doctrinal shape and scope of a reclaimed petition clause -- The Selma-to-Montgomery march as an exemplar of hybrid petitioning.