Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) saw the Supreme Court ruling that public school students could be forced to salute the flag. The case, reversed in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), was brought by Jehovah's Witness students expelled for refusing to comply. This landmark decision reaffirmed the principle that the government cannot compel speech.

Legally compelled speech, when the government forces someone to express a particular message, violates the First Amendment. Landmark cases such as West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette and Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights illustrate this. The phrase "In God we trust" on American currency has sparked debate about its compliance with the First Amendment.