• Mandatory:
  1. Geoffrey R. Stone, et al., Constitutional Law (6th ed. 2009) (referred to in this Syllabus as “CB”)
  2. 2011 Supplement to Geoffrey R. Stone, et al., Constitutional Law (6th ed. 2009) (referred to in this Syllabus as “CB Supp”)
  3. Supplementary materials available on this page (referred to in this Assignment Sheet as “Supp”):
     • Supplementary Materials, Parts I-VI (pp. 1-317):
       • Part I: pp. 1-171
       • Part II: pp. 172-205
       • Part III: pp. 206-227
       • Part IV: pp. 228-261
       • Part V: pp. 262-271
       • New Part VI: pp. 272-317

• Optional
  • McCain’s Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out, N.Y. Times, Feb. 28, 2008
  • 21st Century Contract with America: Bringing the Courts Back Under the Constitution (NEWT 2012 Paper Supporting Item No. 9 of the 21st Century Contract with America (Draft 10/7/11)
  • Statement on Signing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (No. 978), December 31, 2011
  • Additional Reading from Prof. Campos’ seminar on legislative and judicial procedure
  • Congressional Research Service, Recess Appointments: Frequently Asked Questions (Jan. 9, 2012)
  • Wickard v. Filburn
    • Adam Liptak, At Heart of Health Law Clash, a 1942 Case of a Farmer’s Wheat, N.Y. Times, March 20, 2012
    • Jim Chen, The Story of Wickard v. Filburn: Agriculture, Aggregation, and Commerce, in Constitutional Law Stories (Michael C. Dorf ed., 2d ed. 2009)
  • Health Care Litigation Websites (for information on the Supreme Court arguments):
    • Supreme Court Website. Note: the Court will make transcripts and audio tapes of the oral argument available on a daily basis.
    • American Bar Association Supreme Court Preview page:
      • Anti-Injunction Act (Monday, March 26)
      • Minimum Coverage Provision (Tuesday, March 27)
      • Severability (Wednesday, March 28)
      • Medicaid (Wednesday, March 28)
    • ACA Litigation Blog
    • SCOTUSblog Health Care Resource Page

• Past Exams: (I recommend that you wait until near the end of the semester to review these.)
• Practice Exam Question: I will not be able to look at individual answers. My plan is to go over it Monday, April 23 in class. You may find it helpful to read it and either answer it or outline an answer to it before then. You should wait to read it until after you have read through all of Section IV of the Syllabus.

• Current Assignments: Check this page to see what part of the Syllabus (below) is assigned for upcoming classes.
• Past Assignments

Note: For all the assignments in this syllabus, I suggest that you read over the questions about the material posted on the Current Assignments page before you begin reading the material, and then go over the questions after you have read the material. We may not discuss every single question posted on the Current Assignments page, and I may ask questions in class that I haven’t posted, but in general the questions on the page will reflect what we’re going to go over.

I.    Introduction to the Study of Constitutional Law

      A. The Origins of the U.S. Constitution
          1. Federalist and Anti-federalist Perspectives
              CB 1-29
              Supp. 1-3
          2. The Text of the Constitution
              CB xliii-lviii (U.S. Constitution)
              CB 451-452 (“Reconstruction and Retreat” through “Note: The Work of the Reconstruction Congress”)
      B. Comparing Constitutions
          1. Overview
              CB xliii-lviii (U.S.) (review), Supp. 4-36 (Canada), Supp. 37-117 (South Africa)
              Supp. 118-121
          2. Reference re Secession of Quebec
              Supp. 122-132
              CB 92-93
      C. Interpreting the U.S. Constitution: Two Case Studies
          1. The Bank of the United States and the Powers of the Federal Government
              CB 61-75, 75-78
              Supp. 133-143
          2. Health Care and the Taxing Power
              a. Background: Pollock and the Sixteenth Amendment
                  CB xlv-xlvi (Const., Art. I § 8 cl. 1; Art. I § 9, cl. 4); CB liv (Amend. XVI)
                  Supp. 144-147
              b. Liberty University, Inc. v. Geithner
                  Supp. 148-167
              c. The Validity of Constitutional Amendments
                  Supp. 168-171
                  CB 140-142

II.    The Role of the Courts in the Constitutional Framework

      A. Introduction: The Power of Judicial Review
          1. Marbury v. Madison
              CB 29-51
              Supp. 133-140 (review), Supp. 172-173
                        2. Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee; Judicial Exclusivity in Constitutional Interpretation
              CB 52-61
              Supp. 174-183
      B. The Uses of Judicial Review: Slavery
          CB 75-78 (review), 441-452; CB xliii, xlvi, xlix-l [Art. I § 2 cl. 3, Art. I § 9 cl. 1; Art. IV §§ 2, 3]
      C. Limitations on the Powers of the Federal Courts
          1. Political Control of the Supreme Court
              CB 78-90, 162-165
              Supp. 184-185
          2. Advisory Opinions, Standing and the Political Question Doctrine
              a. Advisory Opinions
                  CB 91-93; CB xlviii (Art. II § 2 cl. 2)
              b. Standing
                  i. Allen v. Wright
                      CB 93-98
                  ii. Conceptualizing Injury; Widespread Injuries
                      CB 114-125 (through Note 4); CB xlv [Art. I § 6 cl. 2]
                  iii. Lujan
                      CB 98-106, 125-126 (Note 5); CB Supp. 38-40
                      Supp. 186-187
                  iv. Massachusetts v. EPA; Newdow
                      CB 106-114, 126-129
                  v. Standing to Challenge the Individual Mandate in the Health Care Bill
                      Supp. 188-196
              c. Political Question Doctrine
                  CB 129-148, CB xliii, xlv [Art. I §§ 2,3 ,6,7], liii-liv [14th Am. § 3]
              d. Bush v. Gore
                  CB 148-161; CB xlvii [Art. I § 1 cl. 2], CB lii-liii [Twelfth Amendment], CB Supp. 40-42
                  Supp. 197-205
              e. Ripeness & Mootness
                  CB 161-162

III.    The Separation of Powers

      A. Introduction
          CB 355-358
      B. Approaches to Determining the Distribution of Federal Powers
          CB 358-378
      C. The President, Congress, and Foreign Affairs
          CB 378-380 (through Note 1); CB 395-400
          CB Supp. 62-67
          Supp. 206-213
      D. The “War on Terror”
          CB 380 (note 2)-395
      E. Domestic Affairs
          1. Executive Privilege, Impeachment, and Immunity
              CB 400-412; CB xlv [Art. I § 6 cl. 1]
          2. Nondelegation/Administrative Authority
              CB 412-417, 424-427
              Supp. 214-215
          3. Administrative Agencies and the Separation of Powers
              a. Textualist/Strict Separation Approaches
                  CB 417-424, 427-429, 439 (Note 5)
                  Supp. 216
              b. Pragmatic Approaches
                  CB 430-439 (though Note 4)
              c. Free Enterprise Bd. v. Public Co. Accounting Bd.
                  CB Supp. 68-79
          4. Recess Apppointments
              Supp. 217-227

IV.    Federalism: The Powers of the Federal Government

      A. The Purpose of the Commerce Clause / The First Period of Interpretation of the Commerce Clause
          CB 167-177, 180-183 (through Note 2), 186-189 (Notes 4-11); CB Supp. 43-45
      B. Before the New Deal: The Second Period of Interpretation of the Commerce Clause
          1. Limits on Congress’s Powers
              CB 189-195 (through “Note: Prohibiting Interstate Transportation”), CB 177-179,
              CB 195-202 (through Note 4), CB 1543-1549
          2. Limits on State Powers: Lochner v. New York
              CB 735-751; CB 75-76 (Calder v. Bull) (review)
      C. The New Deal and Its Legacy: The Third Period of Interpretation of the Commerce Clause
          CB 202 (Note 5)-210, 179-180, 210-214, 751-761
      D. Contemporary Interpretations of the Commerce Clause
          1. “Internal” Limits on the Scope of the Commerce Clause Power
              a. In General
                  CB 214-232, CB Supp. 45-46
              b. Health Care: The Individual Mandate
                  Supp. 228-256
          2. The Tenth Amendment as an External Limit on the Scope of Commerce Clause Power
              CB 184-186 (Note 3), 333-354, CB Supp. 45-46 (review), CB Supp. 54-60
      E. Other Powers of Congress
          1. The Spending Powers
              a. In General
                  CB 281-297
                  CB lii (Amendment XI); CB 312 (read the first two paragraphs of the Note); Supp. 262-263
              b. Health Care: The Medicaid Expansion
                  Supp. 257-261
          2. The Treaty and War Powers
              CB 297-300, 329-333; CB 184-186 (Notes 3 & 4), 333-336 (review)
          3. Congressional Power to Enforce the Reconstruction Amendments
              a. Section Five of the Fourteenth Amendment; Thirteenth Amendment
                  CB 300-312, 326-329; CB 1544-1547 (review)
              b. The Interaction of the Eleventh Amendment and Section Five of the Fourteenth Amendment
                  CB 312-314; Supp. 264-271; CB 314-326

V. Federalism: Constitutional Limits on State Powers

      A. Introduction
          CB 232-238, 279-280; CB 173-175 (review)
      B. Strict Scrutiny of State Burdens or Restraints on Interstate Commerce
          1. The Prohibition of Facial Discrimination against Interstate Commerce
              CB 238-253
          2. Exceptions to the Prohibition of Facial Discrimination against Interstate Commerce
              CB 253-257; Supp. 272-277
      C. Facially Neutral Statutes and the Problem of Purpose or Motivation
          1. Hunt, Minnesota v. Clover Leaf Creamery, and Exxon
              CB 257-267, CB 500-501; CB xlvii (Art. I § 10 cl. 2)
          2. Kassel and Other Cases Involving Actual Purpose or Motivation
              CB 267-277, CB 495-504; CB 213 (Note 1) (review)
      D. The Supremacy Clause and Federal Preemption of State Laws
          1. In General
              CB 277-280; Supp. 278-286
          2. Arizona v. United States (Optional)
              Supp. 287-317