Final answer:
Texas v. Johnson (1989) demonstrated that the First Amendment protects symbolic speech, such as flag burning, as a form of free speech. The principle of selective incorporation ensures that the Bill of Rights applies to both federal and state governments, protecting fundamental liberties across all levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson (1989) is an example of analyzing a Supreme Court case related to the Bill of Rights. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag constitutes symbolic speech that is protected by the First Amendment. This activity is under the umbrella of freedom of speech, expression, and protest. The ruling emphasized that the government could not prohibit expression simply because the audience or society finds the speech offensive or disagreeable.
Another significant case is Barron v. Baltimore (1833), which originally held that the Bill of Rights did not apply to state governments. However, through the process of selective incorporation, the Court has gradually applied various provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states, culminating in most protections now applicable at both the federal and state levels. The concept of selective incorporation stems from the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process, which has been interpreted to safeguard fundamental liberties against infringement by the states.