Social Controv & Supreme Court

Catalog description

Some Americans look to the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to rule on moral and social issues like capital punishment and abortion. Why do citizens rely on nine unelected judges to define their rights in a democracy? This class analyzes how the SCOTUS has changed American law on gun ownership and marriage equality. The class begins by considering the judiciary in our constitutional democracy then turns to the two case studies. Students will examine documents from the Founding (e.g. the Federalist Papers), read modern accounts of both gun and marriage cases, and learn to read and brief Supreme Court decisions.