Online Discussion Topics:
Politics and Legal Basis of Obamacare
Supreme Court legitimacy v. Presidential Power: Pres. Jackson and the
Cherokee Nation cases
Civil Rights: From 3/5ths to Dred Scott to Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Bd. Of Education to Little Rock to “I had a Dream.”
$$$ in Politics: Citizens United = A corporation is a person.
Voting Rights Act = Partially Gutted by Supreme Court in 2013
Gay Rights in 2013: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’; Federal DOMA; California
Prop. 8
Gun Control and the 2 nd
Amendment
Contact me via email: jscott@emich.edu
This course is primarily intended for Social Science and K-12 teachers and Political Science majors. It explores the unique nature of American Constitutional law and the American political process, and also cultural values and experiences that have shaped them both. The goal of the course is to nurture informed, active student-citizens and teachers by applying critical thinking and analytic skills to the way American Constitutional law and democracy have worked from the beginning of the Republic to today.
There are 3 main sources for the course: 1) Lecture material in the Course Shell looking at policy and law as framed by the Congress and Presidency with the Supreme Court as referee. 2)
A book tracing politics through the ‘eyes’ of the legal system from 1798 to 2009. 3) A book explaining practical applications of law today by Stephen Breyer, a current Supreme Court
Justice. As Justice Breyer writes… “The key lies in the Court’s ability to apply the
Constitution’s enduring values to changing circumstances…The Court must thoroughly employ a set of traditional legal tools in service of a pragmatic approach to interpreting the law. It must understand that its actions have real world consequences. (p. xiii)”
Grading for the Course: 50% is completely controlled by your participation in the three discussion modules over the 14 weeks of the Course (my goal is for everyone to get that
50%!!) and… 50% by exams.
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