Which case protected the NAACP's membership from being compelled to reveal its lists?

Which case protected the NAACP's membership from being compelled to reveal its lists?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education
• B. Gideon v. Wainwright
• C. Mapp v. Ohio
• D. NAACP v. Alabama

Answer: (D)

The main concept tested is the protection of freedom of association from government demands to disclose membership lists. In NAACP v. Alabama, the Supreme Court held that forcing the NAACP to reveal its membership would violate the members’ right to association by exposing them to harassment and intimidation, which would chill people from joining or supporting the organization. The Court found that the state’s interest in disclosure did not outweigh this constitutional protection, effectively shielding membership lists from compelled disclosure. By contrast, the other listed cases address different constitutional issues—Brown v. Board of Education deals with equal protection in education, Gideon v. Wainwright with the right to counsel, and Mapp v. Ohio with the exclusionary rule for illegal searches—so they don’t address the protection of association and membership privacy.

The main concept tested is the protection of freedom of association from government demands to disclose membership lists. In NAACP v. Alabama, the Supreme Court held that forcing the NAACP to reveal its membership would violate the members’ right to association by exposing them to harassment and intimidation, which would chill people from joining or supporting the organization. The Court found that the state’s interest in disclosure did not outweigh this constitutional protection, effectively shielding membership lists from compelled disclosure. By contrast, the other listed cases address different constitutional issues—Brown v. Board of Education deals with equal protection in education, Gideon v. Wainwright with the right to counsel, and Mapp v. Ohio with the exclusionary rule for illegal searches—so they don’t address the protection of association and membership privacy.