To determine if a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, we must ask two questions: Did the person exhibit an actual (subjective) expectation of privacy? And if so, is the individual's expectation ________.

• A. One that society is prepared to recognize as 'reasonable'
• B. Perfectly aligned with law
• C. Equal to a legal standard
• D. Universally absolute

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the two-part test used to determine a reasonable expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. First, you ask whether the person actually subjectively expected privacy. If they did, you then ask whether that expectation is something society recognizes as reasonable. The correct phrasing reflects that second, objective part: the expectation must be one that society is prepared to recognize as reasonable. This approach comes from Katz v. United States and frames privacy as a socially understood standard of reasonableness, not a fixed legal textbook rule or an absolute right. For example, people typically expect privacy in their homes but not in public spaces, where any privacy expectation is weaker. The other options mischaracterize the standard by implying a universal, absolute, or purely legal rule rather than a society-recognized notion of reasonableness.