CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I
Professor Mike Ramsey
Spring 2015
Reading List
Part 2 – Federalism: The Scope of State and National Powers
Note: All paginated assignments refer to the casebook (Sullivan & Feldman, Constitutional Law
[18th ed. 2013]). Assignments designated as supplemental reading, hypotheticals or writing
assignments are available for download from the course webpage.
I.
Introduction: Federalism and Enumerated Powers
A.
B.
C.
D.
II.
Commerce Power: (i) – Historical Perspective
A.
B.
C.
D.
III.
Gibbons v. Ogden & related introductory comment (pp. 109-111)
Pre-New Deal cases: U.S. v. E.C. Knight, Hammer v. Dagenhart and
related notes (pp. 112-118)
The Commerce Power and the New Deal: Schechter, Carter Coal, Jones &
Laughlin, and Darby (pp. 118-130)
Wickard v. Filburn and notes on judicial deference (pp. 130-136, esp.
Heart of Atlanta and McClung in n.6 on pp. 132-134)
Commerce Power: (ii) – The Modern Commerce Clause
A.
B.
C.
D.
IV.
Introduction to federalism and enumerated powers
(pp. 73-74; re-read U.S. Const. Article I & Amendment X)
McCulloch v. Maryland and accompanying notes (pp. 75-90)
United States v. Comstock and related notes (pp. 99-102)
Values served by federalism (pp. 102-107).
Lopez and Morrison (pp. 136-148)
Gonzales v. Raich (pp. 149-154)
NFIB v. Sebelius [part I] and related notes (pp. 154-164)
Commerce Clause hypotheticals
Other Powers of Congress
A.
B.
Taxing Power (pp. 187-196, esp. NFIB v. Sebelius [part II] on pp. 193195)
Spending Power (pp. 196-217, esp. South Dakota v. Dole on pp. 204-207
and NFIB v. Sebelius [part III] on pp. 209-216)
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V.
Federalism Rights of the States
A.
B.
VI.
Limitations on State Power: (i) B Preemption
A.
B.
C.
VII.
C.
D.
Introduction (pp. 219-223)
Facial discrimination: Philadelphia v. New Jersey and related notes (pp.
233-241, esp. Maine v. Taylor, n.4 on pp. 238)
Protectionist Purposes and Effects: Baldwin, H.P. Hood & related cases
and comments (pp. 256-263, esp. Hunt v. Washington State Apple
Advertising Comm’n on pp. 259-260 and Exxon v. Governor of
Maryland on p. 261)
Disproportionate effects: Pike v. Bruce Church, Kassel v. Consolidated
Freightways & related notes (pp. 263-273)
Limitations on State Power: (iii) – Privileges and Immunities
A.
B.
IX.
U.S. Const. Art. I, Sec. 10 & Art. VI
Pacific Gas & related notes (pp. 281-290)
Supplemental reading: Gade v. NSWMA,Crosby v. Nat=l Foreign Trade
Council and related notes and questions
Limitations on State Power: (ii) B The ADormant@ Commerce Clause
A.
B.
VIII.
Supplemental reading: Gregory v. Ashcroft
New York v. United States, Printz v. United States, and accompanying
notes (pp. 170-179)
U.S. Const. Art. IV, Sec. 2, cl. 1
Supreme Court of New Hampshire v. Piper and related notes, pp. 279-280
Writing Assignment
A.
Federalism writing assignment
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