Antebellum America

Description

Professor Mackubin T. Owens traces the flow of antebellum history, up to the Civil War, examining the many changes and pushes for more change that characterized this period.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Sunday, June 20th, 7:15 pm-9:00 pm session; and select either the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.

Older versions of this lecture, from newer to older, can be found here and here.

The Second Amendment

Description

Professor Jeffrey Sikkenga looks at the Second Amendment and its interpretation. He focuses on the 1939 U.S. Supreme Court case U.S. v. Miller, which has been interpreted as both supporting gun control and supporting the right to bear arms.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session 12, and select the corresponding RealAudio link to the left.

The First Amendment: Religion

Description

Professor Ken Masugi discusses legal definitions and development of the First Amendment's freedom of religion. He focuses on the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case Lee v. Weisman, in which the Supreme Court decided in favor of continued limitation of prayer in public schools.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session 10, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.

The First Amendment: The Freedom of Speech

Description

Professor Jeffrey Sikkenga discusses legal definitions and development of the First Amendment's freedom of speech. He focuses on the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court Texas v. Johnson, which declared flag-burning an act of free speech and the 2003 Supreme Court case Virginia v. Black, which declared cross-burning a free-speech act. He begins with an examination of textual interpretation of the Constitution.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session nine, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.

Religion and Government

Description

Professor David Forte discusses the relationship between religion, government, and law, focusing on the religious base of the U.S. government and the religious base of Islamic states.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Wednesday, July ninth, 4:30 pm guest lecture; and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.

The Supreme Court Interprets "Due Process of Law"

Description

Professor Ken Masugi examines the 1965 U.S. Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut, in which the Supreme Court ruled that an 1879-established Connecticut law against the use of contraceptives violated a citizen's right to privacy. He looks at how this case interprets the Constitution.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session eight, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.

Equality and Affirmative Action in the Mind of the Supreme Court

Description

Professor Jeffrey Sikkenga looks at the legal debate over affirmative action and how to enforce recognition of equality among U.S. citizens. He examines particularly court cases related to affirmative action polices, including the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court cases Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger.

To listen to this lecture, scroll to session six, and select the RealAudio link to the left.