American Presidents&the Consti

Catalog description

Elective Course With another presidential election upon us in 2024, this course will examine the law of the presidency. We will study how the American presidency was created and the powers allocated to the president by our Constitution. We will also learn about how the presidential nomination process has evolved throughout American history and about the modern law governing presidential campaigns, presidential elections, and presidential transitions. And once the president is sworn into office, we will learn about the law that governs presidential oversight of agency action, the presidential enforcement of federal law, and the presidential powers to conduct of foreign affairs. We will also study how other governmental actors have used the law to limit presidential action. As we learn about each aspect of the law of the presidency, we will be mindful that a presidential election is unfolding before our eyes in the United States. This class will be run in seminar style and will consist of weekly readings and discussion. Students will have the option of taking a final exam or researching and writing a final class paper, which may be used to satisfy the law school's Upper-Level Writing Requirement (limit of 10 Upper Level Writing students).