Law, Religion, and Politics (Hamilton)
Meeting Times/Location
T 10:15AM - 1:14PM
MEYH B7
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
3.0
Law, Religion, and Politics addresses the contemporary interplay between government, religion, and politics with focus on the legislative and Supreme Court forces that are re-defining the free exercise of religion and the separation of church and state. Due to the rise in statutory, extreme religious liberty statutes at the federal and state levels, the drive to establish "religious autonomy," and the concomitant push to undermine the separation of church and state, the balance of power between religion, government, and the people has shifted dramatically. The seminar will be organized around specific contemporary issues including abortion and contraception, vaccination and healthcare, discrimination against LGBTQ couples and individuals, discrimination against church employees, and clergy sex abuse. Students will be graded on participation, a mid-term paper, and a final PowerPoint presentation.
Constitutional Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of constitutional law; Perform legal analysis in the context of constitutional law; Communicate effectively on topics related to constitutional law; Demonstrate an understanding of constitutional law affects other areas of law.
Perspectives on the Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.