Eastern Oregon University
Course Syllabus
Name of Course: Civil Liberties
Number of Course: POLS 383
Credit Hours: 5
Course Description:
An appraisal of substantive due process and its impact on social issues (abortion,
gender), along with an evaluation of the Supreme Court’s treatment of freedom of
expression and the impact of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause on our
diverse ‘melting pot’ society.
Required Texts or Suggested Materials:
 Sullivan and Gunther (2013). Constitutional Law, 18th ed. West Publishing.
Learning Outcomes:
Program Outcomes: Content Knowledge (CK), Inquiry (I), Applied Learning and Civic
Engagement (AL/CE), Critical Thinking (CT)
At completion of the course the student will be able to:
1) Evaluate the rules, maxims and doctrines central to Supreme Court decision-making. (CK,
CT)
2) Assess the political and legal implications of civil liberties in the United States. (CK, I, CT)
3) Analyze the text of Supreme Court decisions. (CK, I, CT)
4) Produce a written brief of Supreme Court decisions. (CK, I, CT)
Means of Assessment:
CASE BRIEFS (LOs 1, 2, 3, 4)
A student generated case brief is an analytical outline of a Supreme Court opinion designed to
pinpoint what issues of fact and law are relevant to the final resolution of the case and what
lines of legal argument the justices have used, Briefing aids the student in critically evaluating
just how persuasive the arguments of the justices are and the case’s eventual impact on the
Court’s treatment of civil liberties. Cases to be briefed include, but are not limited to Lochner v.
New York, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, R.A.V. v. St. Paul, and Employment Division v. Smith.
At least 4 of the briefs will be peer reviewed.
EXAMINATION I AND II (LOs 1, 2, 3, 4)
The midterm and final exams are designed to assess the student’s knowledge of, and ability to
think critically, about a wide array of pressing concerns surrounding civil liberties, including
incorporation, substantive due process, equal protection, and freedom of speech and religion.
The examinations require the production of a case brief related to the material to be covered
for the examination.
SIMULATION PERFORMANCE (LOs 1, 2, 3)
The class activity of simulating cases heard by the Supreme Court is one of the most rewarding
educational experiences students will have during their undergraduate studies. Students will be
asked to participate as either a Supreme Court Justice or an attorney arguing a case before the
POLS 383, Pg 2
Court, and be required to apply relevant rules, maxims and doctrines, assess the political and legal
implications of the case, including Stare Decisis considerations, and analyze the text of relevant
Supreme Court precedents, along with briefs submitted to the Court relevant to the case at hand,
in order to accurately predict the Court’s final holding for the case being simulated.
RESEARCH PAPER (LOs 1, 2, 3)
Students will be required to write a short, concise research paper on a contemporaneous problem
in Civil Liberties in order to demonstrate their mastery and critical knowledge of the Supreme
Court’s role in this substantive area, and relevant rules, maxims and doctrines, the political and
legal implications surrounding the Court’s treatment of the substantive area under review, along
with critical analysis of relevant Court decisions. The research paper will be peer reviewed.
Course Requirements:
Case Briefs 5 @ 5..……………. 25%
Examination ……………………… 15%
Examination II ………………….. 25%
Simulation Performance…... 10%
Research Paper .……………… 25%
TOTAL
100%
Learning Outcome #s
1, 2, 3, 4
1 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
Brief Outline of Course:
The course consists primarily of lecture and discussion. A simulation of a current
Supreme Court case, in which students play the role of either an attorney or a Supreme
Court Justice, provides a unique learning experience and further preparation for law
school bound students.
Weeks 1 and 2: Incorporation and “New” Fundamental Rights
Weeks 3 -5: Freedom of Speech: “Old” Fundamental Rights
Weeks 6-8: Equal Protection: Storm Center of Politics
Weeks 9-10: Freedom of Religion: Beliefs and Practices.
General Education Category and Outcomes: NA
University Writing Requirement Outcomes:
Students will produce at least 5,000 words (including drafts, in-class writing, informal
papers, and polished papers); 2,000 words of this total should be in polished papers
which students have revised after receiving feedback and criticism.
 Students will practice the forms of writing and reflect upon the nature of the writing
used by graduates and professionals in the discipline the course represents.
 Students will write at least one paper integrating information from more than one
source, employing the appropriate documentation style for the discipline
represented by the course.
 Students will draft, revise, and edit their formal written work.
 Students will seek assistance from a Writing Tutor in the Writing Lab when needed
and when referred by the instructor.
POLS 383, Pg 3
Students must complete all UWR writing intensive courses with a C- or better, and UWR
writing intensive courses must allocate at least 30% of the overall grade to formal
writing assignments, with at least 25% of the overall grade based on evaluation of
individually written papers that have been revised after feedback.
Statement on Academic Misconduct:
Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of its student scholars.
Any student found guilty of an act of academic misconduct (including, but not limited to,
cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies) may be subject to having his
or her grade reduced in the course in question, being placed on probation or suspended
from the University, or being expelled from the University—or a combination of these.
Please see Student Handbook at: http://www.eou.edu/saffairs/handbook/honest.html
Statement on Americans with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability or suspect that you have a learning problem and
need accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Program in Loso Hall 234.
Telephone: 962-3081.
Syllabus Prepared By:
Jeff Dense
Date:
2/15/13