Categories: Constitutional Law Legal History

Instructor(s)

Snyder, Brad

Course Data

Course Description

Twentieth-Century Constitution: This is a course in constitutional history meeting the Constitutional Law II requirement & Legal Process requirement. We will examine the development of constitutional doctrine over the course of the twentieth century. The course begins with the standard history of the twentieth century constitution. We then return to the original materials to ask whether the standard history is in fact accurate. Each unit is introduced by contextual matter aimed at familiarizing the student with the important issues of the day, whether it be child labor, lynching, the Depression, or World War II. We will ask how these larger issues are (or are not) reflected in the constitutional doctrine of the day, from the police power to the commerce clause to the equal protection clause. Legal issues addressed include substantive due process, equality, and federalism.

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