RELG 175Relg, Govt, Poltics in America

Catalog

This course analyzes the relations between religion, religious communities, and political institutions in the United States and California. The course examines political institutions and processes under the U.S. and California Constitutions, the influence of religion and religious communities on these institutions and processes, and the influence of these institutions and processes on religious communities, especially related to the rights and duties of citizenship. The influence of religious communities on the development and evolution of the U.S. Constitution and policy making role of traditional political institutions such as the presidency, the Congress, and the judiciary will be explored. Topics of study include freedom of religion, civil rights and citizenship, the political and religious philosophies of the framers of the U.S. Constitution, Constitutional documents as sources of civil religion, religion and immigration, separation of church and state, religion in public education, and the role of religion in war and domestic and foreign policy. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-4, CSU-D, IGETC-4, Cal-GETC-4)