Lemon Test

Definition

The Lemon Test is a three-part test used by the courts to determine whether a law violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

Analogy

Think of the Lemon Test like a traffic light system. If any part of the law promotes religion (red light), inhibits religion (yellow light), or results in an excessive entanglement between government and religion (green light), then it doesn't pass the test and is considered unconstitutional.

Related terms

Establishment Clause: This clause in the First Amendment prohibits the government from establishing a national religion or favoring one religion over another.

Secular Purpose: This term refers to something that has a non-religious purpose. For a law to pass the Lemon Test, it must have a secular purpose.

Excessive Entanglement: This phrase refers to an unacceptable level of involvement between government and religious institutions. If such entanglement exists, then according to the Lemon Test, the law is unconstitutional.