Posts for March 19, 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.
Decoding avalanche of
online information [SJ Merc, 3/18/17]: Teachers help kids sort out fake
news from real.
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:
Gorsuch nomination
Obstacles are ahead, but
Gorsuch seems set to clear Supreme Court confirmation bar [McClatchy, 3/18/17]: Polished and scrutinized to a fare-thee-well,
Colorado-based appellate Judge Neil Gorsuch has political momentum as he enters
his Supreme Court confirmation hearing starting Monday.
What Neil Gorsuch learned from Kennedy, Scalia and Thomas [CNN, 3/19/17]: If Judge Neil
Gorsuch is confirmed to the Supreme Court, he will break one major precedent.Gorsuch's writings could prompt end of life
questions at confirmation hearing It will mark the first time a former clerk will take the
bench while his one-time boss, Justice Anthony Kennedy, is still sitting.
Democrats under fire as Gorsuch hearings begin [Politico, 3/19/17]: Activists tell lawmakers they
better go hard after Trump's Supreme Court nominee.
The Case Against Neil Gorsuch [Slate, 3/19/17]: The Supreme Court nominee's jurisprudence
shows he values religious people's beliefs above all else.
Democrats: Don't Use
Republican Playbook on Gorsuch [Bloomberg, 3/19/19]: When Republicans refused to cooperate on legislation,
when they threatened to shut down the government, when they stonewalled his
Supreme Court nominee, Democrats lambasted them -- and justifiably so -- for
dereliction of duty.
Neil Gorsuch's
Dissertation Opposes Same-Sex Marriage [TIME, 3/18/17]: Gorsuch’s statements on the issue in his 2004 Oxford
University dissertation for his Doctorate in Philosophy reveal that he thought
it obvious that the United States Constitution did not protect a right to
same-sex marriage.
U.S. Supreme Court's
ideological balance at stake in confirmation fight [Reuters, 3/19/17]: When
President Donald Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch is sworn in
for his Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, Democrats will make the case
that he is a pro-business, social conservative insufficiently independent of
the president.
Neil Gorsuch Made Up A Legal Standard That Weakens
Promises To Kids With Disabilities [Huff
Post, 3/18/17]: Now his would-be colleagues on the Supreme Court may rule he
was wrong.
C-SPAN / PSB Supreme
Court Survey 2017 [SPAN, 3/17/17]: PSB conducted online interviews from
March 7-9, 2017 among n=1,032 U.S. likely voters in this comprehensive survey
about the Supreme Court. Interesting. Here are the results:
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]
Feinstein on potential for Trump ouster: 'I think he's gonna
get himself out' [Politico, 3/18/17]: Sen. Dianne Feinstein seemed to
indicate Friday that she expects President Donald Trump may disqualify himself
from office over potential constitutional breaches and conflicts of
interest.
Inside Trump’s White House, New York moderates spark
infighting and suspicion [Wash Post, 3/18/17]: Inside the White House,
they are dismissed by their rivals as “the Democrats.” Outspoken, worldly and
polished, this coterie of ascendant Manhattan business
figures-turned-presidential advisers is scrambling the still-evolving power
centers swirling around President Trump.
DOJ urges federal court to find key provision in Dodd
Frank Act unconstitutional [Jurist, 3/18/17]: The Department
of Justice (DOJ) Friday filed an amicus curiae brief urging the US Court
of Appeals for the DC Circuit to find the for-cause only removal provision of
the Dodd Frank Act unconstitutional. Stated differently, the brief requests
the court to recognize the US president's executive authority to remove
single-head-directors of federal agencies on entirely discretionary reasons.
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:
Hillary Clinton Says She’s ‘Ready to Come Out of the
Woods’ [NY Times, 3/18/17]: Hillary Clinton said she was “ready to
come out of the woods” during a St. Patrick’s Day speech on Friday night in
Pennsylvania in front of an overflow crowd — an indication that she plans to
shed the low profile she has kept since the election.
Legislation and the Legislative
Process (TOPIC 20)
New Jersey
legislature passes bill requiring presidential disclosure of federal tax return
[Jurist, 3/18/17]: he New Jersey
Legislature passed S3048 on Thursday which would require presidential and
vice-presidential candidates to reveal their federal income tax return before being
listed on the state's ballot. The bill, which was passed by a democratic-led
state legislature and awaits Governor Chris Christie's signature, was inspired
by President Donald Trump’s refusal to release his own tax returns.
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:
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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