American Political Process

Catalog description

Examines federal constitutional and statutory law governing the American political process. The purpose of the course is to define the basic constitutional principles of the American democratic system, master the essential rules of federal campaign and election law, and describe different potential theories of democracy as they have emerged in American legal history. Topics include the right to vote, legislative apportionment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, political party primaries and procedures, ballot access and candidate qualifications, the Voting Rights Act of 1982, campaign finance and campaign speech and their relationship to the First Amendment, political action committees (PACs), political broadcasting, media access, and political patronage.