Posts for January 9, 2017
These are the posts
that are accumulated in our weekly newsletter which goes out throughout the
school year. The posts are organized by the major units in our Constitutional Law (5th ed.) student textbook.
Sacramento-area students learn civics through experience.
Others could follow their lead [Sac Bee, 1/7/17]: It’s one thing for students to learn about
civics in a classroom, another to organize clothes drives, plant community
gardens or register voters. California’s latest history and social studies
guidelines were designed in part to encourage schools to give students
real-world experience in civic engagement.
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:
How Big a Deal
Are Four 9th Circuit Vacancies That Await Trump? [The Recorder,
1/5/17]: The prospect of four Republican
appointees joining the court prompted the conservative news site breitbart.com
to proclaim in a recent headline: "Liberals Panic as Trump Could Flip
Left-Leaning Ninth Circuit.”
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:
Kentucky Governor
Expected to Sign Abortion Bills [CNS,
1/9/17]: A controversial bill that requires an ultrasound and fetal-heartbeat
monitoring before a woman can have an abortion was approved by Kentucky
lawmakers on Saturday and awaits the governor’s signature.
The
American Presidency [TOPIC 15]
Trump has taken few steps to disentangle from private
empire [AP, 1/8/17]: President-elect Donald Trump pledged to step
away from his family-owned international real estate development, property
management and licensing business before taking office Jan. 20. With less than
two weeks until his inauguration, he hasn't stepped very far.
Donald Trump and the
National Security State [Justia, 1/9/17]: Professor Margulies
considers what Donald Trump’s approach to national security might be, based on
the particular combination of his ideology and the technology available to him.
Margulies points out that Trump has the surveillance technology that was
available to Obama without the reservations about profiling.
Jeff Sessions
faces 'Washington's bloodsport [CNN, 1/8/17]: Sen. Jeff Sessions is
preparing for yet another confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary
Committee. But this
time, he'll be sitting in the witness chair. Instead of grilling a potential
nominee, Sessions himself will be the main course as he faces his former
colleagues Tuesday.
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:
Obama retools his political operation for another run [Politico,
1/9/17]: He will use his foundation and an updated Organizing for Action group
to try to salvage his legacy and rebuild the Democratic Party.
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
Supreme Court Upholds No-Warning Deadly Force [CNS, 1/9/17]: The U.S. Supreme Court issued a summary
reversal Monday in favor of a New Mexico police officer who gave no warning
before he shot and killed a gun-wielding man.
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:
New Voices legislation
launched in Indiana [SPLC, 1/6/17]: Representative
Ed Clere, R-New Albany, introduced House Bill 1130 Tuesday,
kicking off the second attempt in Indiana’s history to enact legal protections
for high school and college journalists in the Hoosier State.
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:
Privacy rights: A right to use cash? [Concurring Opinions,
1/8/17]: To what extent does the ability to use cash implicate a significant
privacy right? Some economists, most notable Kenneth Rogoff, argue that
we would be better off getting rid of cash. Illegal activity, they point
out, would be much more difficult to finance without cash.
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