The course will cover recent conduct by the Trump Administration threatening the United States Constitution and our constitutional democracy.  We will also examine recent United States Supreme Court cases that both support Trump and rule against him. In this context, we will discuss methods of interpretation, discussion of religious liberty, gun regulation, slavery, equal protection of the laws, capital punishment, right to counsel, due process under the 5^th and 14^thamendments and cases of historical significance. In particular, we will spend some time on this clause of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Recent cases of abortion, parents opting out of certain classes and other such cases will provide for a robust discussion of religious liberty.  We will also look at the ability of the courts to enforce their decisions, including the possibility of the executive branch ignoring the decisions of the federal judiciary.

Classes will be lecture and discussion, and preparation time should be one hour per week.