Course
Objectives
To increase your knowledge of:
*the fundamental principles in the U.S. Constitution
*the types and form of Supreme Court opinions
*legal reasoning
*the methods of interpreting Constitutions and statutes
*the forces that influence court decision-making
*the impact of court decisions
*the powers and functions associated with Congress,
the
President, and the Supreme
Court
*the distribution of power between state and national
governmentsCourse Goals
To develop your abilities to:
-comprehend court opinions
-understand different modes of analytical reasoning
-write effectively using legal reasoning
-assess the accuracy of media accounts of court decisions
-fathom the distinctive nature of the U.S. Constitution in our
nation's political system
-appreciate the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in maintaining
our
constitutional framework
Course Structure
The course will be focused on analyzing the Supreme
Court's treatment of two critical constitutional
principles-separation of powers and federalism. The focus will
be organized by examining Supreme Court decisions for each of
the major governmental branches, and for the states relative
to the national government. The powers of each of these
entities will be examined in the domestic and foreign
arenas.
Required Text
There is one required text for the course. It is Constitutional Law
For a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints,
seventh edition, by Lee Epstein and Thomas G. Walker.
Course
Requirements
There will be a mid-term and a final
examination. The
final will not be comprehensive. The mid-term and final will be
composed of short-answer and essay questions. There will also
be essay quizzes during the semester which will consist of
short-answer and essay questions. Students will also
complete several writing assignments. A number of these assignments will
include one or more elements of case briefing. There will also
be a group project which will be explained in further detail
during class sessions.
Grading Format
| Item |
Points |
% of Grade |
| Mid-Term |
80 |
20 |
| Final |
100 |
25 |
| Quizzes |
70 |
17.5 |
| Group Project |
60 |
15 |
| Assignments |
90 |
22.5 |
| Total |
400 |
100 |
Grading Policy
| Grade |
% |
Points |
| A |
90-100 |
360-400 |
| B |
80-89 |
320-359 |
| C |
70-79 |
280-319 |
| D |
60-69 |
240-279 |
| F |
0-59 |
0-239 |
|
