Constitutional Law: Civil Rights SYLLABUS Fall 2013

Constitutional Law: Civil Rights
SYLLABUS
Fall 2013
POLS 129, CRN 93688
MWF, 12:50 – 1:40, Lafayette, L207
Professor Alec Ewald
Office: Old Mill 514
[email protected]
Office Hours: 2-5, Monday and Wednesday, and by appointment
Assignments are subject to change with appropriate notice. For course policies, see separate handout (also posted
on Blackboard). Readings not included in Gillman, Graber, and Whittington, American Constitutional Law, Vol. II (GGW),
are posted on Blackboard, or distributed in hard copy. Please follow page numbers listed in GGW, and look for sensible
section breaks. Where I’ve indicated something about content in those pages (e.g. “Foundations,” “Voting Rights,”) it’s
meant as an effort at detail and elucidation, not replacement of page numbers.
Topic
Introduction:
Understanding
American
Constitutionalism
DATE
Mon., Aug. 26
ASSIGNED READING DUE
(No reading before class is required, though you’re certainly invited to read; all
supplemental readings, including those assigned for the first three days, are on
Blackboard.) In class, discuss:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Wed., Aug. 28
I.
II.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Vermont Teacher’s Oath.
Pew Research Center, “Majority Views NSA Phone-tracking as Necessary
Anti-Terror Device,” June 10, 2013 (summarizing Pew / Washington Post
poll, conducted June 6-9, 2013). At http://www.peoplepress.org/2013/06/10/majority-views-nsa-phone-tracking-as-acceptableanti-terror-tactic/
Summary, “Constitution Restoration Act of 2005” (proposed legislation),
at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.520:
Britz, “To All the Girls I’ve Rejected,” New York Times, March 23, 2006.
First Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln, 1861 (Pay attention to material
on page 4, about what the Constitution says, and page 5, about the power
of the Supreme Court.)
Juliet Eilperin, “State officials balk at defending laws they deem
unconstitutional,” Washington Post, July 19, 2013.
Brief of Amici Curiae National Beer Wholesalers’ Association et al., S.D.
v. Dole, U.S.S.C.
Please see “First Assignment” document, on Blackboard.
Readings – American constitutionalism, continued. [Note: all reading
for this week is on Blackboard.]
Logan v. U.S. (U.S.S.C., 2007).
Taxi & Limousine Comm’n v. Kamal (N.Y.City administrative court,
2010).
Stuart M. Butler, “Assuring Affordable Health Care for All Americans,”
Heritage Foundation (1989). Note particularly material at p.6.
Kaiser Health News, “Summary of a 1993 Republican Health Reform
Plan.” Note, among other interesting provisions, Subsection F. Please also
find out who co-sponsored the bill this summary focuses on (just hop online).
“Brief for Amici Curiae 54 Leading American Businesses in Support of
Respondents,” in Grutter and Gratz cases, U.S. Supreme Court, 2003. Just
read the list of signatories and the first few pages of the text.
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Fri., August 30
Constitutional
Development:
Intro to GGW
The Colonial Era
and the
American
Founding
The Early
National Era
The Jacksonian
Era
Civil War &
Reconstruction
The Republican
Monday Sep. 2
Wed., Sept. 4
Written assignment. Type, and be ready to submit (name and date on top left), a
list of the most important events culminating in either of the Supreme Court’s 2013
same-sex marriage decisions: Perry (the California case) and Windsor (the DOMA
case). Please list from three to seven events prior to the Court’s 2013 decision
that you think are absolutely critical to understanding the case. One side of
one page. No citations at all are necessary.
For example, you might list state court decisions; lower federal court decisions;
enactment of state or federal statutes, or constitutional amendments; county
administrators’ actions; interest-group actions, such as initiating litigation; actions
(and/or notable inactions) of state executive-branch officials; and actions of the
federal executive branch.
You may use whatever sources you think appropriate. (Might start with Oyez,
Scotusblog, and recent stories in major papers.) Please note that you are not
expected to do any sophisticated legal research whatsoever for this assignment:
you can use whatever on-line sources, including reputable press accounts and legal
weblogs, you think will help. We are looking for your concise list of the essential
steps, not something fancy.
No Class: Labor Day holiday
Gillman, Graber, & Whittington [GGW], American Constitutionalism (Vol. 2),
xxv-xxviii (Preface); 3-20 (Ch. 1: Introduction to Rights & Liberties).
Fri., Sep. 6
GGW, Ch. 2, 58-64; Ch. 3, 81-86; 124-136. Recommended (optional):
Constitution of Massachusetts, 1780. Available at:
http://www.nhinet.org/ccs/docs/ma-1780.htm
Mon., Sep. 9
GGW, Ch. 4, 154-157 (Marbury v. Madison, 1803).
Wed., Sep. 11
GGW, Ch. 4, 180-198 (Voting; Equality); and, excerpt from the Reports of
Proceedings & Debates of the New York Constitutional Convention, 1821, p. 190191.
Fri., Sep. 13
GGW, Ch. 5, 211-218 (Introduction, Foundations); 226-234 (alcohol restrictions;
religion); 245-247 (voting rights).
Mon., Sep. 16.
GGW, Ch. 5, 247-264 (Equality: Race, Gender, and Native Americans).
Wed., Sep. 18.
GGW, Ch. 5, 265-270 (Booth cases).
Fri., Sep. 20.
First in-class exam.
Mon., Sep. 23.
GGW, Ch. 6, 281-296 (Introductory material; Congressional debates over meaning
of the 13th and 14th Amendments); Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, 1861.
Wed., Sep. 25.
GGW, Ch. 6, 303-307 (Confiscation); 316-319 (Voting); and 320-344 (Equality;
focus on sections A, C, and D, related to theory, gender, and Native Americans).
Fri., Sep. 27.
GGW, Ch. 6, 320-344, continued (Equality; focus on section B, 324-337, related
to race); and, excerpt from GGW, Vol. I, p. 272-276, related to the Civil Rights Act
of 1866, and 294-295, on the legitimacy of the Reconstruction Amendments.
Mon., Sep. 30.
Wed., Oct. 2.
No new reading; work on papers; class does meet.
First short paper due (assignment separate), in hard copy only, at beginning of
class time.
Fri., Oct. 4.
GGW, Ch. 7, 357-372 (Introduction, Foundations); 376-383 (Extraterritoriality,
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and the “State Action” requirement); and, excerpt from GGW, Vol. I, 350-354
(punishing lynching).
Era
The New Deal /
Great Society
Era
Liberalism
Divided
Mon., Oct. 7.
GGW, Ch. 7, 397-400 (Lochner); 418 (morality: Buck v. Bell); 471-473 (crime and
punishment: Powell); 433-438 (citizenship).
Wed., Oct. 9.
GGW, Ch. 7, 438-458 (Equality: race, gender, Native Americans).
Fri., Oct. 11.
Whiteness in the early twentieth century. GGW, 443 (Thind); and, Shahid and
Ozawa cases, and excerpt from Josiah Strong, Our Country (1891): Ch. 14, “The
Anglo-Saxon and the World’s Future,” p. 200-218.
Mon., Oct. 14.
GGW, Ch. 8, 479-495 (Introduction, Principles; Carolene Products excerpt, and
A.C.L.U. document).
Wed., Oct. 16.
GGW, Ch. 8, 503-571 (State Action: Allwright, Shelley, and Alfred Meyer; 520521 (Lee Optical); 529-538 (Skinner, Perez, Griswold).
Recommended (optional): Blaisdell and West Coast Hotel excerpts.
Fri., Oct. 18.
GGW, Ch. 8, 561-577 (Voting Rights and Congressional power; citizenship); and,
Heart of Atlanta v. U.S. (1964).
Mon., Oct 21.
GGW, Ch. 8, 577-602 (Equality: race, Korematsu, Brown, more); 605-608
(Griffin); and, Loving v. Virginia
Wed., Oct. 23.
Second in-class exam.
Fri., Oct. 25.
GGW, Ch. 9, 629-638 (Introduction, Foundations, Principles).
Mon., Oct. 28.
GGW, Ch. 9, 639-641 (state action: Moose Lodge); 674-683 (voting rights;
apportionment).
Rec’d: Buckley v. Hoff (U.S. Dist. Ct., 1964).
Wed., Oct. 30.
GGW, Ch. 9, 685-696 (San Antonio; Swann; busing).
Rec’d: Shapiro v. Thompson (1969).
Fri., Nov. 1.
College and equality: gender and athletics. Daniel de Vise, “College admission
rates for women spur civil rights probe,” Washington Post, Dec. 14, 2009; Britz,
“To All the Girls I’ve Rejected,” NYT; Daniel Golden, The Price of Admission:
How America’s Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges, Ch. 5, “Title IX and
the Rise of the Upper-Class Athlete.”
Mon., Nov. 4.
College and equality: “legacy” candidates; Asians and college admissions;
discrimination on the basis of state of residence. Legacies: Daniel Golden,
“Admissions Preferences Given to Alumni Children Draws Fire,” Wall Street
Journal, Jan. 15, 2003; Richard C. Kahlenberg, “Elite Colleges, or Colleges for the
Elite?” New York Times, Sept. 29, 2010. Asians: Golden, The Price of Admission,
Ch. 7, “The New Jews: Asian Americans Need Not Apply.” State of residence:
Ward v. Temple, (E.D. Pa., 2003) (Blackboard only); note the last couple pages; see
also there references to Vlandis v. Kline (1973).
Wed., Nov. 6.
GGW, Ch. 9, 696-712 (Bakke, Washington v. Davis, gender material).
Fri., Nov. 8.
Second short essay due, beginning of class time.
3
The Reagan Era
The
Contemporary
Era
Mon., Nov.
11.
GGW, Ch. 10, 737-744 (Introduction, Foundations); 748-751 (Principles); 792794 (Bowers).
Wed., Nov.
13.
GGW, Ch. 10, 812-824 (voting rights); 825-829 (Plyler); 865-870 (Batson); 872876 (McCleskey).
Rec’d: Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center (1985).
Fri., Nov. 15.
GGW, Ch. 10, 829-852 (equality: school funding; implementing Brown;
affirmative action; gender policies).
Mon., Nov.
18.
GGW, Ch. 11, 881-891 (Introduction, Principles); 919-921 (Congressional power
and Boerne); excerpt from GGW Vol. I, 652-657, on Morrison.
Wed., Nov.
20.
GGW, Ch. 11, 932-948 (gay rights; and, TBA, materials from 2013 decisions,
Windsor and Perry.)
Fri., Nov. 22.
GGW, Ch. 11, 989-1016 (equality material); and, TBA, materials from 2013
decision, Fisher v. University of Texas.
Thanksgiving recess: Nov. 25-29
Conclusions &
Review
Mon., Dec. 2.
The contemporary era: unfinished business.
Wed., Dec. 4.
Course conclusions and review.
Final exam (cumulative): Friday, December 6, 2013, 7:30 – 10:15 a.m., our classroom
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