PSCI 319 The First Amendment (Not offered 1998-99; to be offered 1999-2000)

The focus of this course is the constitutional politics of the First Amendment. The goal is to consider the political, economic, sociological, and ideological significance of this critical, but frequently misunderstood, section of the Constitution. What does the constitutional history and interpretation of the Amendment tell us about the type of polity we have as well as the intentions of those who originated it? We will investigate various theories of the First Amendment, relating them to alternative understandings of the structure and distribution of power in American society. Thus, issues such as pornography, libel, campus speech, campaign financing, political protest, religious exemptions, polygamy, and prayer in the schools will be studied as case studies in American politics and political thought. Much of the reading will be in constitutional cases, but most of it will consist of books and articles from the increasingly voluminous literature in this area of public law. Requirements: a final exam and two short to medium length papers. Prerequisite: one Political Science course, or permission of the instructor. American Politics Subfield

JACOBSOHN