American Constitution Development

Catalog description

The most honored and fundamental principles of the American political system, and many of this country's most divisive crises, have been debated and challenged in terms of constitutional law. This seminar examines the nature and scope of the powers of the federal judiciary, Congress, the presidency, and the relationship between the federal government and the states. One goal of this seminar is to emphasize that answers to questions about the proper ways in which to organize a political system around even the most fundamental principles -- such as separation of powers, federalism, representative democracy, liberty, equality, and the rule of law -- have changed throughout this country's history. The modern constitutional regime is, in complex ways, vastly different from what the Framers of the Constitution imagined. These changes raise fascinating questions about methods of constitutional interpretation, as well as judicial and political fidelity to our constitutional regime - all of which will be covered through a review of these historical developments and the leading cases in the constitutional law canon.