PSCI 309 Comparative Constitutionalism (Not offered 1998-99; to be offered 1999-2000)

One way to mark the end of the twentieth century is to note the extraordinary amount of constitution making going on around the world. The heightened activity surrounding recent fundamental restructurings of polities has led to a renewed interest in the old subject of constitutionalism. This course will explore alternative traditions of constitutionalism, connecting them to the broader political cultures from which they have emerged. It will examine the various shades of meaning underlying political values and moral theories that inform concepts-for example, liberty, autonomy, equality, and community-within various constitutional traditions. It will seek to account for the similarities and differences within the constitutional ideas and arrangements of the nations under consideration. It will also look closely at the ways in which foreign constitutional experience might illuminate and possibly improve American constitutional understandings. This will be done through a study of such issues as abortion, hate speech, religious freedom, judicial review, federalism, and constitutional change. The countries receiving closest examination will be Germany, Canada, India, and Israel. However, in our quest for a public philosophy that might suggest a more perfect constitutional polity, we will consider other examples as well. Requirements: a final exam and two short to medium length papers.
Prerequisite: Political Science 219 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to 18. Comparative Politics Subfield

JACOBSOHN