Posts for April 3, 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.
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
and hearings
Warner's opposition to Trump court nominee gives Democrats 41
'no' votes [Reuters, 4/3/17]: Democratic
Senator Mark Warner on Monday announced opposition to President Donald Trump's
Supreme Court nominee, meaning Democrats potentially have the votes needed to
block a U.S. Senate confirmation vote to give Neil Gorsuch the lifetime job.
Politics This Week:
Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court Nomination [NPR, 4/3/17]: Three
articles/broadcasts on the Gorsuch nomination and politics from NPR.
Senate Dems reach
filibuster threshold on Gorsuch setting up 'nuclear option' change [CNN, 4/3/17]: Four Senate Democrats announced Monday they plan to
oppose Neil Gorsuch, bringing the Democratic caucus to the 41 votes needed to
sustain a filibuster against the Supreme Court nominee.
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]
Bit by bit, Trump methodically undoing Obama policies [AP,
4/3/17]: Amid the turmoil over staff shake-ups, blocked travel bans and the
Russia cloud hanging overhead, President Donald Trump is steadily plugging away
at a major piece of his agenda: Undoing Obama.
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:
Ballot Selfies Allowed as U.S. Supreme Court Rebuffs New Hampshire [Bloomberg, 4/3/17]: Voters in New Hampshire are free to take selfies with their election ballots and post the photos online after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive a state ban on the practice.
Why Republicans Can’t Find the Big Voter Fraud Conspiracy [Politico,
4/2/17]: If the last federal investigation is any guide, the answer is simple.
It probably doesn¹t exist.
Legislation and the Legislative
Process (TOPIC 20)
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy struggles with the
realities of power [McClatchy DC / Fresno Bee, 4/3/17]: House Majority
Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., smiled in front of a national audience and
voiced full confidence that his House Republicans needed just a “couple more”
votes in order to repeal and replace Obamacare. “I know we’ll get this done,”
McCarthy declared March 23 on CNN.
How far will California legislators go to attract
teachers? [LA Daily News, 4/2/17]: A bipartisan group of Sacramento
legislators are polishing up a bushel of apples, with bills intended to
increase the number of teachers in California’s schools — and keep them from
fleeing the state, or the profession entirely, a few years in.
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
How We Misunderstand Mass Incarceration [New Yorker, 4/3/17]: A new book argues that, in the
effort to fix the prison epidemic, we are addressing the wrong things and
missing the true problem.
Trying to speed up executions could deal 'mortal blow' to
California Supreme Court [LA Times, 4/2/17]: If a
November ballot measure to speed up executions goes into effect, the California
Supreme Court will have to decide hundreds of death penalty appeals in rapid
succession. That mandate would turn the state’s highest court into what
analysts say would be “a death penalty court,” forced for years to devote about
90% of its time to capital appeals.
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:
Federal judge rejects President Trump's free speech
defense to rally violence [Jurist,
4/2/17]: On Sunday a federal judge rejected
President Donald Trump's [official website] free speech defense in response to
his alleged inciting of violence among protesters during his presidential
campaign. The current lawsuit against Trump alleges the then-presidential
candidate attempted to incite violence among his supporters by saying "get
'em out of here" in response to protesters at his Kentucky rally.
You can read the opinion in
Nwanguma
v. Trump at:
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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