In this course, we will examine how the Constitution of the United States was framed, ratified, and implemented during both the founding of the Republic and the “Second Founding” during and after the Civil War. Particular attention will be given to founding-era controversies involving slavery, federalism, and implied powers, and to how these issues influenced the adoption and interpretation of the Reconstruction Amendments. Texts, lectures, and discussions will integrate history, political theory, and legal scholarship in order to better understand our nation's central text. We will use different legal cases to explore how interpretations of this document have changed over time. Students are encouraged to explore individual research projects deeply rooted in this history.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Explain the foundational structures of the three branches of the U.S. government and how they interact to create, interpret, and enforce laws
• Understand the core questions at the nation's founding and how these questions were and weren't incorporated into the text of the Constitution
• Communicate effectively and accurately about Founding Era and Reconstruction Era debates, and the implications of those debates for constitutional interpretation
• Analyze primary and secondary sources through historical and legal resarch methods. 

This class will meet once a week on Wednesday evenings, in person on the Olympia campus. In addition to attending these class meetings, 2 hours of learning will be conducted asynchronously. This asynchronous work will consist of listening to and analyzing audio/visual recordings, participating in individual and group research projects, completing writing workshops, and engaging with discussion assignments. Students should expect that this asynchronous work will add between 1-2 hours of active learning in addition to the 2 hours of attending the synchronous in-person meetings.

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

4 - History: U.S. Constitution