POL4501W

This Course is designed to introduce students to constitutional law, with an emphasis on the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of Articles I, II, and III. This means that we will discuss how the nation’s Court of last resort has helped shape the powers of and constraints on the three branches of our federal government. We will also discuss and analyze the development of law surrounding the separation of powers, the structure of federalism, congressional power over the commerce clause, and the creation and demise of the concept of substantive due process. Successful completion of this course will satisfy the liberal education requirement of Civic Life and Ethics. Effective citizenship in the 21st century requires an understanding of our how government was created, is structured, and has been interpreted by the Supreme Court over the past two centuries. This course is premised on the notion that such an understanding is best achieved by reading the primary sources that led to these goals – the opinions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court.