Law and National Security

Catalog description

This course will survey and explore domestic laws (constitutional, statutory, and regulatory), executive branch decisions and many of their corresponding judicial interpretations that authorize, expand or constrain the U.S. government’s pursuit of its national security policy objectives. This course is organized into four categories: (I) the foundations of U.S. national security powers, (II) the use of force abroad, (III)intelligence gathering and (IV)detaining, interrogating and prosecuting terrorist suspects. This graduate-level course is conducted as a lecture class and in seminar fashion with an emphasis on encouraging and incorporating robust dialogue, engagement and sharing of insights and ideas, integrating and correlating assigned course readings and selected media resources with real world events. Students should expect to acquire a substantive understanding of the balance of liberty and security struck by the executive, legislative and judicial branches to combat threats to the homeland. Course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.