What rule was adopted by the Supreme Court to determine limits on First Amendment freedoms?

The correct answer is the clear and present danger rule, which was established by the Supreme Court to set standards on when the government might impose restrictions on free speech under the First Amendment. This principle allows for limitations on speech if it poses a significant and immediate threat to public safety or national security.

The notion originates from the Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States (1919), where Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. articulated that during wartime, certain speech that poses a clear and immediate danger to the country could be restricted. The clear and present danger test thus provides a framework that balances individual freedoms with the need to maintain order and safety in society, ensuring that rights are not exercised in ways that could harm others or disrupt public peace.

In contrast, the other options presented do not encapsulate the established legal standard in the same way. The balanced approach rule is less defined in legal precedent, while the public safety rule and freedom of expression rule are not specific tests that the Court has formally adopted to evaluate First Amendment limitations.