CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I
PROFESSOR SKOVER

SYLLABUS
 

The following shorthand has been used in listing reading assignments:

  • "Text" refers to Gregory E. Maggs & Peter J. Smith, Constitutional Law: A Contemporary Approach (West, 4th edition). It is important to note that the purchase of a second-hand copy of the text will not enable you to access the online materials available on West's Interactive Casebook website.

  • "Supplement" refers to the 2021 updated text materials available for free on West's Interactive Casebook website.
  • "Bobbitt" refers to Philip Bobbitt, Constitutional Fate: Theory of the Constitution (Oxford University Press, 1984)
     

Note:  In order to access any of the Lexis documents hyperlinked below, it is necessary first to sign onto Lexis in your browser. Cases and law review articles will be uploaded immediately upon clicking the links below.


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I. INTRODUCTION
 

Assignment 1: History and Overview of the Constitution

The Constitution of the United States

Text 1-13  

Text 1471-1488

 

II. FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE POWERS & FEDERALISM
 

Assignment 1: Express and Implied Federal Powers Text 111-133
 
Assignment 2: Pre-New Deal Commerce Clause - Early & Middle Years Text 133-154
  
Assignment 3: New Deal Commerce Clause - An Expansive View Text 155-169
 
Assignment 4:

Modern Commerce Clause

Taylor v. United States

Text 169-206

PDF

   
Assignment 5:

The Taxing and Spending Powers

Text 206-239

     
Assignment 6:    State Immunity from Federal Regulation Text 245-267
     
Assignment 7: State Sovereign Immunity as a Limit on Federal Power

Doctrinal Review of Section II - Executive Summary

Text 267-277

Text 278-279

 

III. LIMITATIONS ON STATE POWER & JUDICIAL PROTECTION OF THE INTERSTATE MARKET

 

Assignment 1: Preemption

Dormant Commerce Clause Doctrine - The Early Cases

Text 285-294

Text 295-300

 

Assignment 2:

"Uniform National Standard" Test

"Discrimination against Interstate Commerce" Test
Text 300-306

Text 306-313
 
Assignment 3:

"Excessive Burden on Interstate Commerce" Test

The Meaning of "Interstate Commerce"

Text 313-326

Text 326-334

 
Assignment 4: The Market-Participant Exception

Article IV § 2 Privileges and Immunities Clause

Doctrinal Review of Section III - Executive Summary

Text 335-345

Text 353-360

Text 370-372


IV. FEDERAL EXECUTIVE POWERS
 

Assignment 1:

Domestic Affairs

Foreign Affairs

Text 375-387

Text 387-404

 
Assignment 2:

President's Powers in Times of War

Executive Privilege & Executive Immunity

Trump v. Vance

Doctrinal Review of Section IV - Executive Summary

Text 414-428

Text 431-450

Supplement

Text 450-451

 

V. FEDERAL JUDICIAL POWER & METHODS OF CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION

 

Assignment 1: Judicial Review Text 45-69
     
Assignment 2:

Obstacles to Judicial Review: Political Questions

Rucho v. Common Cause

Text 70-80

Supplement

     
Assignment 3:

Obstacles to Judicial Review: Standing

Hollingsworth v. Perry

Text 85-100

PDF

     
Assignment 4: Methods of Constitutional Interpretation - 1

Originalism
Textualism
Doctrinalism


 

Bobbitt 3-24
Bobbitt
25-38
Bobbitt 39-58

 
Assignment 5:

Methods of Constitutional Interpretation - 2

Prudentialism
Structuralism
Ethicism

 

Bobbitt 59-73
Bobbitt 74-92
Bobbitt 93-119

 
Assignment 6:

Methods of Constitutional Interpretation -3

An Illustrative Case: District of Columbia v. Heller

Doctrinal Review of Section V - Executive Summary

 

Lexis 

Text 106-110

 

VI. EQUAL PROTECTION

 

Assignment 1: Distinctions & Classifications

Equal Protection Analysis Chart

Rationality Review

Facial Discrimination against Minorities

Text 737-740

PDF

Text 743-751

Text 762-772

 
Assignment 2:

Discriminatory Application of Facially Neutral Laws

Discriminatory Effect or Purpose

Village of Arlington Heights

Text 772-777

Text 778-783

PDF

     
Assignment 3: Race-Specific but Facially Symmetrical Laws Text 783-798
 
Assignment 4:

Affirmative Action

The Future of Affirmative Action

Text 798-806

Text 818-825

 
Assignment 5: Gender Discrimination Text 841-853, 857-866
 
Assignment 6: 

Disability Discrimination

Same-Sex Marriage Discrimination
United States v. Windsor

Obergefell v. Hodges

Text 876-883


Text 888-892
Text 679-695

     
Assignment 7:

The Right to Vote

Text 897-914

     
Assignment 8: Congress's Power to Enforce the Fourteenth Amendment

Doctrinal Review of Section VI - Executive Summaries

Text 966-979

Text 751-752, 893-895,
938, 979

 

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