Wednesday, March 16, 2016


Posts for March 16, 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:

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:

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

Obama to Nominate Merrick Garland to Supreme Court [NY Times / NPR, 3/16/16]: In choosing Judge Garland, a well-known moderate who has drawn bipartisan support over decades, Mr. Obama was essentially daring Republicans to press their election-year confirmation fight over a judge many of them have publicly praised and who would be difficult for them to reject, particularly if a Democrat were to win the November presidential election and they faced the prospect of a more liberal nominee in 2017.


Srinivasan or Garland likely Obama choice for Supreme Court: source [Reuters, 3/15/16]: President Barack Obama was poised to announce his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday at the White House, setting the stage for a potentially ferocious political showdown with Senate Republicans who have pledged to bar anyone Obama selects.

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:

Titanic Tuesday: Trump Leads but Doesn’t Finish the Job [Sabato’s Crystal Ball, 3/16/16]: Clinton back on track with a strong night.

5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries [Politico, 3/15/16]: Clinton cements it and Rubio turns prophet as the GOP marches toward a messy convention.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/takeaways-rubio-kasich-clinton-220843

Ball of Confusion that was 1968 [Sabato’s Crystal Ball, 3/16/16]: If you lived through 1968, you can’t forget it -- even if you want to. It was the worst of times, a year from hell, marked by savage warfare in Vietnam, political assassinations, urban riots, and militancy of all sorts. People talked seriously about whether the United States would hold together.

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)


Judicial Crisis Network plans $2 million ad campaign opposing Obama's court pick [Politico, 3/16/16]: The conservative Judicial Crisis Network will launch an immediate $2 million ad buy to oppose President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee.

Liberals flirt with lowering bar on Supreme Court confirmation [Politico, 3/16/16]: Some Senate Democrats say the Supreme Court filibuster needs to go, with the GOP refusing to even meet an Obama nominee.

Tobacco Industry's Threats: Provocative, But Legal [CPR, 3/15/16]: What's noteworthy is the tactic the tobacco industry says it would use once the referenda are cleared for signature gathering: paying $10 for every voter signature. That would drive up the cost to qualify every other ballot measure gathering signatures – including the tobacco tax increase, and Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed overhaul of California’s criminal justice sentencing system.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/03/14/tobacco-industrys-threats-provocative,-but-legal/

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:

Argument preview: Historic fight over religion and birth control [SCOTUS blog / Slate, 3/16/16]: The stubborn political fight over Obamacare rages on, now a major issue for presidential candidates, and yet the new health care law continues operating much as planned because it has largely survived repeated legal challenges.  Another, the fourth to reach the Supreme Court, will be heard by the Justices next week in a highly emotional battle over religion and women’s access to free birth control.

UC proposal on intolerance says 'anti-Zionism' is unacceptable on campus [AP, 3/15/16]: University of California officials are proposing to include "anti-Zionism" as a form of discrimination that is unacceptable on campus, according to a long-awaited draft statement on intolerance released Tuesday.


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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