U.S. Constitutional Law

May 2017

Clicking on the links below will take you to the readings
Click here for a copy of the U.S. Constitution

Introductory Material (May 7)

1. The U.S. Constitution and Its Key Features (3-10)

2. Methods of Constitutional Interpretation (23-33)

Judicial Power (May 11)

1. Introduction to Judicial Power

2. Judicial Review (61-71)—Marbury v. Madison (1803)

3. Constraints on Judicial Power

   1. Jurisdiction (86-89)—Ex parte McCardle (1869)

   2. Justiciability (90-94, 102-106)—Nixon v. United States (1993)

   3. Standing to Sue (107-108)

Separation of Powers (May 14)

1. Introduction to Legislative and Executive Powers

2. Foreign Policy, War, and National Emergencies (289-291)

   1. The President versus Congress

   2. Contemporary Approaches—Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) (310-316), Zivotofsky v. Kerry, Secretary of State (2015) (319-328), discussion of the "war on terror" cases (331), including Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004) (332-338)

Individual Rights and Liberties (May 17)

1. Overview of Key Concepts and Debates

2. Due Process and Privacy—Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) (394-399), Roe v. Wade (1973) (401-408)

3. Equal Protection

   1. To Brown v. Board of Education (1954) (619-622)

   2. Today's Framework for Analyzing Equal Protection Claims (637-640)