One of the bedrock guarantees in the U.S. Constitution is freedom of speech. Freedom of speech means that the government cannot prevent people from expressing their opinions. However, freedom of speech does not mean anything goes in all contexts. Many laws limit what people can say and do. The rules governing speech are especially important in a polarized, diverse society with many opposing viewpoints. What are the rules governing speech?

While political opponents sometimes accuse each other of treason, the definition of the crime has nothing to do with politics. Rather, the crime of treason is set out in a statute known as the Espionage Act. This brief describes the provisions of the Espionage Act and gives examples of the kinds of crimes that have been prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Additional information on classified documents can be found in our Classified Information policy brief linked in the Further Reading section.

The federal government routinely classifies documents and other information whose disclosure would harm national security. Even so, classification can also be used to hide internal deliberations and policy failures. Classified documents typically get in the news when they are found in the possession of active or retired politicians and high-profile individuals. What are the procedures for classifying information, and how do people run afoul of these rules?