Establishment Clause Definition

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion... ."

This passage from the First Amendment is referred to as the establishment clause. While the text speaks only to Congress, the Supreme Court has long recognized that it applies with equal force to the states. (See Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947).) In general, the establishment clause bars the government from setting up an official state church or religion. It also prohibits the government from preferring one religion over another, or preferring religion over nonreligion.