Constitutional Law
This course introduces core principles of U.S. Constitutional law including its historical and philosophical underpinnings. Topics covered include federalism, separation of power, express and implied power, executive power, judicial review, police power, the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, substantive due process, and equal protection.
- 1Activity 1
Declaration of Independence
Ideals without action change nothing. America was built on the principles of natural rights, human dignity, self-government, and moral responsibility, and the…
- 2Activity 2
Constitutional Convention
The Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers give you direct access to the reasoning behind the structure of American government, straight from the people who built it and…
- 3Activity 3
US Constitution
The Constitution is not just something to learn about; it is something you need to read. It is the supreme law of the land, and every power, limit, and protection in our…
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Power Divided
The Constitution is not just a list of powers; it is a blueprint for how power flows and how it gets checked, and that structure matters as much as the rights it…
- 5Activity 5
Judicial Review
Judicial review is the foundation of constitutional law: the power of courts to say what the Constitution means and to strike down laws or actions that violate it.…
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Judicial Interpretation
The words of the Constitution don't interpret themselves. Every constitutional decision, from free speech to marriage to gun rights, reflects a choice about what the…
- 7Activity 7
Bill of Rights
When the Constitution was first ratified, the Bill of Rights only applied to the federal government. It did not apply to the states: your state could restrict your…
- 8Activity 8
First Amendment
The First Amendment protects how we speak, protest, publish, pray, and live out our beliefs, but these freedoms are not unlimited. Courts have spent over a century…
- 9Activity 9
Due Process
The Constitution says government can't take your life, liberty, or property without "due process of law," but what that means depends on which kind of due process is in…
- 10Activity 10
Criminal Procedure
Four of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights govern criminal investigation and prosecution, and they are the constitutional provisions Americans encounter most…
- 11Activity 11
Equal Protection
The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment says government must treat people fairly under the law, but fairness is not always about treating everyone the…
- 12Activity 12
Amendments
The Constitution is often treated as fixed and final, but it was written to be amended, and the Article V process is the only formal way to change its text. Though…
- PProject
Constitution Now
Constitutional law is not just what the Supreme Court says; it is how power and rights play out in real time, from executive actions to free speech protests. This…