POLS 245 Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
An intermediate course in constitutional law and theory with a focus on how the Constitution protects individual rights while accommodating the often-competing claims of state, groups and communities. Much of the course will be dedicated to the jurisprudence surrounding the 14th Amendment and the rights it has been found to protect. Specific rights and liberties covered may include racial equality, reproductive autonomy, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. Students will be assessed primarily through mock judicial opinions and analytical essays analyzing controversies in constitutional interpretation. Disputes over rights and liberties will be treated not solely as legal questions, but as entry points into enduring questions about the character of the American system of government.
Sub-field: PUBLIC LAW