Introduction: This is a course on civil liberties 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 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 civil liberty such as freedom of speech, religion, and freedom against unreasonable search and seizure.
The course is designed for students with an interest in American political and legal institutions, legal processes, rights, American political history, or the role of courts in society. No prior knowledge of constitutional law is presumed.
This class will be taught in an asynchronous online format. Lectures will be posted under the "Panopto Recordings" tab, usually on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons corresponding to the assigned readings. Exams will be submitted through the course Canvas page.