POLS 344: Civil Liberties

Professor Brett Savage

This course is an introduction to US constitutional law regarding civil liberties, Free Speech Clause, and due process. In studying legal doctrines and constitutional jurisprudence, our focus will be on the social, political, and historical context of developments and shifts in constitutional jurisprudence regarding civil liberties. Wewill read canonical cases to understand the evolution of freedom in the U.S. and debate more recent cases to understand what it means today (at least according to the Court).While we will primarily read US Supreme Court decisions, we will also examine other relevant literature from activists and politicians that illuminates how civil liberties have been understood and shaped.