Course Description
This course will focus on a general overview of the Constitution, with a special focus on certain Amendments that have a profound effect on current day America. This will include the First Amendment's protection of free speech, religion and press, the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause, the Sixth Amendment's Rights of the Accused, and the Eighth Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment provision. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Recall The Bill of Rights of The US Constitution.
- Translate the knowledge gained in studying the US Constitution into the new context of rewriting parts of the document.
- Predict the consequences of potential new Amendments or differently worded parts to the Constitution.
- Use concepts and theories related to Constitutional interpretation to concretely apply in discussions related to editing the Constitution.
- Recognize hidden meanings in the US Constitution to interpret what the Framers intended in their original writings.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Assignments (Weeks 1-7) | 50% |
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 30% |
Final Paper (Week 8) | 20% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
- Sabato, Larry J. More Perfect Constitution: 23 Proposals to Revitalize Our Constitution and Make America a Fairer Country. Walker & Company, 2008.
Course Schedule
| Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1, 3, 4 | Topics: Overview of the US Constitution and Foundation of Constitutional Law
|
|
2 | 2-5 | Topics: The Bill of Rights
|
|
3 | 1-5 | Topic: Judicial Interpretation of the Constitution
|
|
4 | 5 | Topic: Separation of Powers
|
|
5 | 2-5 | Topic: Equal Protection
|
|
6 | 2-5 | Topic: The Right to Privacy
|
|
7 | 2-5 | Topic: Our Constitutional Convention
|
|
8 | 1-5 | Topics: Conclusion and Final Paper |
|
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.