Constitutional Law and Public Policy – LPCY 702

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course addresses the role of the Constitution and constitutional jurisprudence in the formulation and implementation of public policy. Students will explore the implications of understanding the Constitution from an originalist and/or non-originalist perspective as well as the related legal and policy implications. Through analysis of relevant Supreme Court decisions, students will examine the extent and limits of the judiciary’s role in the formulation and implementation of public policy.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

In this course, students will explore the implications of interpreting the Constitution from an originalist or non-originalist perspectiveIn particular, this course will help students understand the importance of an originalist interpretation to preserving separation of powers, the rule of law, and our God-given unalienable rights.  

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Peer-Review Discussions (2)

Peer-Review Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. The thread will be the student’s previously submitted Article Review. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads and 1 reply to the student’s own thread. Each reply must be 500 words.

Article Review Assignment (2)

The student will write a 1500-2000 word review of a recent scholarly article in current APA format. The article review will describe the topic; state the underlying worldview assumptions, identify the conclusions drawn in the article; and critique and assess the article’s analysis, conclusions, and/or recommendations from the perspective of the Christian worldview. The paper must include at least 3 reference(s) in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible.

Quizzes (4)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module: week. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 17 multiple-choice and short essay questions, and have a 90-minute time limit.