American Political & Constitutional Thought

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In "American Political & Constitutional Thought," which serves as the gateway course for the Constitutional Studies minor, we shall study fundamental texts of the American constitutional and political tradition in an attempt to answer questions such as: What is the purpose of government? What is the meaning of political equality? What is political liberty and how is it best secured? Since we lack the time for a comprehensive survey of American political thinkers, we shall examine select statesmen and critical historical periods, focusing on the Founding era, Lincoln and the slavery crisis, and the Progressive era and New Deal.