Description
This introductory course focuses on the issues raised by the structural parts of the United States Constitution. Consideration will be given to judicial processes in constitutional cases; judicial review; and the federal courts functioning in the constitutional system. Attention will then be given to the relationships of the three federal branches of government, with emphasis on some of the powers and limitations of the executive, legislative and judicial bodies that arise from principles of separation of powers and national checks and balances.
The course will also consider federalism and the respective roles of the national and state governments in some detail. Both general principles and their specific application to sources of federal and states powers and their limitations will be discussed, with particular emphasis on examples under the commerce clause.
This is a second year course. The prerequisites are CRIJ 1301 Intro to CJ; 1306 Courts; This is a 3 hour course.