US Constitutional Law and National Security

Catalog description

This graduate seminar examines the origin and development of the American constitutional system and constitutional law. It further examines this system within the context of national security. Primary emphasis is on the US Supreme Court, which includes its developmental as an institution, the origins of judicial review and the court’s establishment of this process, as well as the decision-making process by Justices of the court. The course will then examine the interplay between the court and its political environment and the impact the court has had upon the functioning of the political system by considering the Marshall Court (1801-1835), the Hughes Court (1930-1941) and the Warren Court (1953-1969). We will conclude with a consideration of the role of the court in balancing the rights and freedoms of a democratic society within the demands of the national security state.