Introduction to US Constitutional Law

This course will introduce students to basic concepts in American Constitutional Law - including the history and development of the U.S. Constitution, theories and practice of constitutional interpretation, and the historical context of major controversies of the Supreme Court. Students will develop the intellectual ability to read case law, properly conceptualize and analyze constitutional issues, and will foster an informed perspective on the nature and limits of constitutional decision making. Class will spend particular attention on the development of civil rights and civil liberties. Specifically, this semester will cover freedom of the press, the right to keep and bear arms, reproductive freedom, the right to privacy, constitutional police procedure, discrimination, voting rights, and political repression.