Define libel and outline the basic features of libel law in the United States.

What will be an ideal response?


Libel is a written statement that defames the character of another person.

In this country, it is hard to sue for libel. You must show the statement was false-truth is an affirmative defense. It is even harder to sue and win if you are a public figure; here you must demonstrate actual malice.

Political Science

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In Baker v. Carr (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that ________

A. state legislatures could be malapportioned as long as the most populous district had no more than twice as many residents as the least populous district B. voters have standing to challenge legislative apportionment C. majority-minority districts were unconstitutional D. apportionment cannot be on the basis of regions or geography in state legislatures E. it is legal to take race and ethnicity into consideration when redistricting

Political Science

When Darwin and Wallace asked what kinds of processes would account for their observations, they were using

A) Deductive reasoning. B) Inductive reasoning. C) The method of authority. D) The intuitive method.

Political Science

The South African National Defense Force

a. is about the same size as the country's police force. b. has played a major role in peacekeeping efforts. c. has increasingly been called upon to provide internal security. d. is seen by many experts as being seriously underfunded, undermanned, and ill-equipped. e. is tightly integrated into regional defense structures.

Political Science

The Democratic Party has become more liberal and the Republican Party more conservative because of the ______.

a. movement of conservative New Englanders and New Yorkers into the Republican Party b. growing influence of the Republican Party in the industrial Midwest c. growth of Democratic influence with liberals of the Rocky Mountain area d. movement of conservative, southern Democrats to the Republican Party e. growing influence of the Democratic Party in the West

Political Science