Fall 2005

GOV 320N • American Constitutional Development II

Course Description

Upper-division standing required. The course will focus on the development of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in America through reading of U.S. Supreme Court cases. Cases will be read and analyzed chronologically by court, focusing primarily on the Warren, Burger, and Rehnquist courts. This class is designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of the Supreme Court and approaches to constitutional interpretation and judicial decision-making. It is designed for both government majors as well as students who intend to go to law school. It is also designed for students who want to expand and sharpen their verbal and analytical skills. We will also develop profiles on how justices on those courts approached the various issues. These profiles will come from our analysis of the cases, scholarly commentary on the cases and justices and the justices' own off the bench writings. We will spend some time on both the social and political context in which the cases arose as well as the theoretical basis of various civil rights and liberties.

Grading Policy

3 one-hour exams: approximately 60% Supreme Court Oral Argument: approximately 28% Class Participation/Attendance: approximately 12%

Texts

Foster & Leeson, Constitutional Law Cases in Context, Vol.II

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