Posts for June 1, 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:
Fearing Trump's next move,
liberals urge Supreme Court conservative Kennedy to stay [Reuters, 6/1/17]: Liberal
activists are urging U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative
with whom they often disagree, to put off any thought of retirement, fearing
President Donald Trump would replace him with a jurist further to the right.
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:
Jerry Brown says states should act if Trump quits climate
deal [SF Chron / SJ Merc, 5/31/17]: Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday
called on states to forge an alliance to support the Paris climate deal
following reports that President Trump plans to withdraw the United States from
the landmark international accord.
The
American Presidency [TOPIC 15]
Trump's Travel Ban Is Headed for a Supreme Court
Showdown [The Atlantic, 5/28/17]:
Will the justices, many of whom worked in the executive branch, hold the
president's words against him?
‘We were used, abused and exploited’ [Politico,
6/1/17]: As he built support for his signature political issue, Donald Trump
formed a powerful partnership with a non-profit group dedicated to families of
those killed by undocumented immigrants, but now some of those families are
alleging they were exploited by both the non-profit group and — to a lesser
extent — by President Trump.
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:
Just How Many Obama 2012-Trump 2016 voters were there? [Sabato’s Crystal Ball, 6/1/17]: Using different surveys to try to answer an oft-asked question.
Supreme Court to hear case on Ohio voter purges [USA Today / The Atlantic /
Constitution Daily, 5/31/17]: The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear
yet another case on voting rights — not so much about who can vote, but
who cannot. The justices will hear Ohio's challenge to a federal appeals court
ruling that struck down the state's aggressive method for purging voters from
its registration rolls. The case is Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute.
Oregon May Become the
First State to Use Direct Democracy to Join the Presidential National Popular
Vote Agreement Plan [Justia, 6/1/17]: Professor Amar comments on a
recent significant development in the election reform movement known as the
National Popular Vote interstate compact plan. Amar explains why the NPV would
benefit voters in all states and why Oregon’s shift in particular is important.
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
California lawmakers advance bill to reform bail system [AP
/ KQED, 5/31/17]: California lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday to
dramatically change the state's pretrial release policies by ending bail for
most defendants. The state Senate voted 25-11 to send the measure to the
Assembly.
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:
It’s Just a Joke—or Is
It?
[Newseum, 5/31/17]: A California school
district discusses whether jokes are protected by the First Amendment. A male
student at San Ramon Valley High School in Northern California posted an
anti-Muslim video last week as part of a presidential campaign for his student
council.
For more detail on this situation, see the Huffington Post, 5/22/17:
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:
International Law, Citizenship
and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]
The climate-change pact is more popular than Trump – and
the senators who oppose it [McClatchy, 5/31/17]: The Paris climate
change agreement is more popular than not only President Donald Trump but also
the 21 Republican senators who’ve pushed him to withdraw from it.
Bad hombres, good hombres [Economist, 5/31/17]: The Supreme Court protects a
Mexican immigrant from deportation But another court upholds the deportation of
a long-time resident -- and denounces the administration's immigration
policies.
UN report: human rights violations in CAR
may be war crimes [Jurist, 5/31/17]:A new report released Tuesday by the UN
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) claims that human
rights violations within the Central African Republic (CAR) may amount to war
crimes.
White House Signals
It Will Withdraw From Paris Climate Agreement [CNS, 5/31/17]: President Donald Trump is expected to withdraw the
United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, despite mounting pressure
from international allies and even the pope.
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