Time Schedule:
Jennifer L. Fredette
LSJ 361
Seattle Campus
Cases and literature bearing on protection of constitutionally guaranteed private rights, with particular reference to the period since 1937. Offered: jointly with POL S 361.
Class description
Free speech. The right to privacy. Political and social equality. Freedom of thought. These are protections we all tend to think are safely housed in the US Constitution. Contrary to what many Americans think, the Constitution isn’t clear about these rights – or doesn’t even discuss them at all. Supreme Court justices have, in many respects, “made� the Constitution we Americans take for granted today via a series of interpretations and case law. Thank goodness for those justices then, right? Well, no; the Supreme Court is actually rather weak, and research suggests that justices stray from their personal political opinions only when they are forced to by powerful shifts in societal debate, lest they become irrelevant. To mask this, Supreme Court justices engage in long and complicated rituals of justification for their decisions.
All that said, what the Supreme Court says truly matters: sure, the Court is weak, and sure it’s political; but ultimately, it is the most recognizable interpreter of our rights as Americans. Come learn about how the Supreme Court has interpreted the rights we hold most dear – and what its interpretations mean for our rights in the long run!
Student learning goals
The primary goal of the class is to help students understand how legal and political processes have shaped protections for civil rights and civil liberties in the United States.
General method of instruction
Case by case analysis of US Supreme Court jurisprudence means very short but intense readings. There will be much emphasis on in-class discussion as students make sense of Court decisions together.
Recommended preparation
The course is designed for students with an interest in American political and legal institutions, legal processes, American political history, or the role of courts in society. No prior knowledge of constitutional law is presumed.
Class assignments and grading
Assignments consists of case briefs and two short writing assignments. There is a midterm and a final.
