Constitutional Politics

Catalog description

The three branches of American government (legislative, executive, and judiciary) compete for control over American policy and law. The Supreme Court can declare an act of either the legislature or executive unconstitutional (judicial review). Yet the Court relies on the two other branches to enforce its decisions (for example, President Eisenhower bringing in the military to uphold the desegregation of schools). Through the reading of cases and the viewing of documentaries, this course explores how the Supreme Court has shaped American politics for over two centuries. Topics include free speech in wartime, internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, desegregation, abortion rights, and same-sex marriage.