POLS W3930 - Constitutional Law Seminar

Institution:

Columbia University in the City of New York

Subject:

Description:

This course explores major features of U.S. constitutional law through close examination of selected decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Through student discussion and some lecturing, the seminar addresses issues arising from the Constitution's allocation of power among the three branches of government, including the role of the federal judiciary in a democratic polity; the allocation of powers between the National and State governments, including the scope of Congress' regulatory powers; and the protection of the private sphere from arbitrary and discriminatory government conduct, including the evolution of the concept of liberty from its protection of economic interests before the New Deal to its current role in protecting individual autonomy and privacy, protections against racial and gender discrimination and some aspects of freedom of speech and press. More generally the seminar aims to enhance understanding of some main aspects of our constitutional tradition and the judicial process by which it is elaborated.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.columbia.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 854-1754

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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