POLS 344: Civil Liberties

Professor Allen Settle

This course covers all the freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments to the Constitution. Particular attention is given to the Fourteenth Amendment and the obligation it imposes on the states with respect to liberty, the process, and equal protection of the laws. One goal is to present a comprehensive and current compendium of constitutional law in these vital areas of American public life and policy. The topic areas include federal and state conflicts over elections, gerrymandering, minority rights, immigration, levels of criminal justice applications, police community relations and Supreme Court decisions on abortion (the Dobbs case), independent state legislatures wanting to reverse the popular vote (Moor v, Harper) and rights of immigrants. Also, how will a more conservative supreme court impact civil rights and liberties?