Posts for February
29, 2016
These are the posts
that are accumulated in our newsletter which goes out every 4-6 days during the
school year. The posts are organized by the major units in our Con Law (5th ed.) student textbook.
I. Introduction to Law, the
Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5th
edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that
are relevant to this unit:
Republicans: 'Do Your Job,' Then Let People Decide [Jost on Justice, 2/28/16]: President Obama says he is looking for a Supreme Court
nominee with “a sterling record,” “a deep respect for the judiciary’s role,”
and “an understanding of the way the world really works.” He may find someone
who meets those qualifications, to his satisfaction, but to Senate Republicans
it will make no difference.
II. Defining the Political
System: Federalism and Checks and Balances
[See TOPICS 11-15 in the 5th
edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are
relevant to this unit:
Why Courts Shouldn't
Ignore the Facts About Abortion Rights [Linda Greenhouse in the NY Times’ Sunday Review /
Bloomberg / Reuters, 2/28/16]: At the
core of the most important Supreme Court abortion case
in a generation is a series of questions about facts. In deciding the
constitutionality of a law that would shut down most abortion clinics in a
state in the name of protecting women’s health, which facts about the law’s
rationale and its impact may a court consider? Which facts must a court consider? Are there facts a court must ignore
entirely?
Louisiana abortion clinics ask Supreme Court to block law
[Jurist, 2/29/16]: The law, which went into effect
for the first time on Thursday after the US
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit allowed
its enforcement, requires that
doctors performing abortions have patient-admitting privileges at a hospital
within 30 miles of the abortion clinic.
III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns
[See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are
relevant to this unit:
The Governing Cancer
of Our Time [David Brooks in the NY Times, 2/27/16]: “We live in a big, diverse society. There are
essentially two ways to maintain order and get things done in such a society —
politics or some form of dictatorship. Either through compromise or brute
force. Our founding fathers chose politics….” Provocative, and worthy of
a debate, thus the following pieces.
But see: “David
Brooks Is Wrong Again -- Trump's Rise Is Not 'Anti-Politics' but the Cancer of
Big Money” [Alternet, 2/27/16]:
and, not to be outdone, “Delusional David Brooks: His blind spot for Republican nihilism has
become pathological” [Salon, 2/27/16]:
Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)
Who Believes the GOP Is Serious About Blocking Obama's
Supreme Court Nominee? [Huff Post,
2/28/16]: The problem with this pledge is that only about 8% of Americans believe our members of Congress are honest -- about the
same percentage of Americans who view car salesmen and telemarketers as honest.
So why believe Senator McConnell and his colleagues about this pledge?
GOP senators aim to confirm judges -- just not for
SCOTUS [Politico, 2/28/16]: Democrats
are accusing Republicans of rank hypocrisy.
IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4th,
5th, 6th, and 8th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent
articles that are relevant to this unit
V. 1st
Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly)
[See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that
are relevant to this unit:
What Does Ancient
Athens Have to Do With University Protesters? [Justia, 2/29/16]:
Professor Rotunda describes how
freedom—specifically freedom of speech—was recognized as important as far back
as ancient Athens, and how it remains important in the United States today, not
only for its inherent value but also in setting an example for the rest of the
world to use. Rotunda argues that when the United States restricts speech,
other countries will use our example to justify their own repression.
https://verdict.justia.com/2016/02/29/what-does-ancient-athens-have-to-do-with-university-protesters
5 KKK members released from jail after brawl in Anaheim [AP,
2/28/16]: Five Ku Klux Klan members who were arrested at a violent melee in an
Anaheim park were released from jail after a video showed they were acting in
self-defense, police said Sunday.
Oklahoma Bill to
Teach Anti-Abortion Curriculum Raises Free Speech and Religion Concerns [EdLawProfs blog, 2/29/16]: Last
week, the Oklahoma House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education
introduced a bill titled the "Humanity of the Unborn Child Act."
The bill would require public schools to include anti-abortion messages
in their curriculum.
VI. 14th
Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law] Here are some recent articles
that are relevant to this unit:
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