PSCI 216(S) Constitutional Law II: Individual Rights
Constitutional Law is offered in two courses. Students are encouraged to
take them in sequence but may elect not to, or to enroll in only one. The
focus of both courses is on one of the most vital aspects of politics:
interpreting and applying the nation's fundamental rules. The emphasis is
on the United States Supreme Court and the exercise of judicial review. In
this class we examine the ways in which the Constitution protects individual
rights while accommodating the often competing claims of groups and communities.
Some of the topics to be considered include: equal protection under law,
substantive and procedural due process, freedoms of speech and religion,
and privacy. Under these rubrics are to be found such issues as affirmative
action, capital punishment, hate speech, property rights, abortion, and gender
discrimination. Much of the reading is of Supreme Court opinions that highlight
the politics of constitutional development.
Requirements: a midterm, a final exam, and a critical paper of short to medium
length. No prerequisites. Open to first-year students with Advanced Placement
credit in American politics. American Politics Subfield