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Quotation from Abington School District v. Schempp by Supreme Court of the United States
“The test may be stated as follows: what are the purpose and the primary effect of the enactment? If either is the advancement or inhibition of religion then the enactment exceeds the scope of legislative power as circumscribed by the Constitution.”
Abington School District v. Schempp, Opinion of the Court (Justice Clark), Part V (U.S. Reports text (Wikisource))
Justice Clark distills the Court's earlier Establishment Clause decisions into a two-part test.
Citation: "The test may be stated as follows: what are the purpose and the primary effect of the enactment? If either is the advancement or inhibition of religion then the enactment exceeds the scope of legislative power as circumscribed by the Constitution." — Supreme Court of the United States, Abington School District v. Schempp, Opinion of the Court (Justice Clark), Part V (U.S. Reports text (Wikisource)). (id abington-school-district-v-schempp-q1)
Portrait: Official portrait of Associate Justice Tom C. Clark, Supreme Court of the United States (cropped), Unknown photographer, Public domain.
