LAWS 669 - The Constitution

Credits: 3

A study of the structure and theory of the U.S. Constitution as described in the organic laws and founding documents without the judicial exegesis. Specifically, we will examine the Colonial Charters; The Declaration of Independence (1776); The Articles of Confederation (1777); the Treaty of Paris (1783); The Northwest Ordinance (1787); Madison’s Notes on the Philadelphia Convention (1789); the Proposal of the 11th Amendment by the Third Congress (1794); and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798). The founders’ ideas of self-rule, federalism, separation of powers, and man’s relation to society will be traced back to Enlightenment writers such as Hume and Montesquieu and developed through the writings of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John Adams.

Prerequisites: None

Note: Satisfies perspective course requirement. Students who have enrolled in Federal Constitutional Convention may not also enroll in this course.

Basis of Grade: Paper

Form of Grade: Letter Grade

Close Window