POL S 360 A: Introduction to United States Constitutional Law

Introduction:  This is a course on constitutional powers, civil rights, and the development of American constitutional law.   Because many core rights are linked to our remarkably enduring Constitution, one might think of them as enduring and unchanging.   However, in fact constitutional rights are a contestant site of change and political struggle, and the content of rights and powers has changed considerably even as the formal text of the Constitution remains unchanged.    We will explore these developments – how they occurred, why, and where the law now stands on important questions of constitutional law. We will explore how federal and state powers, capitalism, and civil rights have interacted in their development throughout American history.

The course is designed for students with an interest in American political and legal institutions, legal processes, rights, American political history, and/or the role of courts in society. No prior knowledge of constitutional law is presumed.