Law and Politics

LAW AND POLITICS
“TENTATIVE” COURSE SCHEDULE SPRING 2013 Readings: (M) Murphy and selected internet and electronic readings Some journal articles will need to be accessed through the UVU Library Journal database. If the below links to internet sources do not work, you should first search Google for alternative links. If you are still unsuccessful, then contact Dr. Griffin.  This schedule is only “tentative” and subject to change by verbal or written notification – stay tuned! __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Jan 8, 10 Introduction Introduction to course & review of syllabus The Nature and Prominent Theories of Law (M) 3-12 William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England in Four Books, 2 vols., pp. 39-62 Introduction, Section II, “Of The Nature of Laws in General,” pp. 39-47 (scroll down). http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=2140&chapter=198645&layout=html&Itemid=27   

Charles Grove Haines, A Survey of the Development of Natural law Doctrines, 1930 Chapter 1 Ancient and Medieval Natural Law Theories, http://www.constitution.org/haines/haines_001.htm King, Martin Luther Jr. "Letter from the Birmingham Jail." In Why We Can't Wait, ed. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963. http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/liberation_curriculum/pdfs/letterfrombirmingham_wwcw.pdf Herbert Spiegelberg, Justice Presupposes Natural Law, pp. 343-348 http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0014-1704(193904)49%3A3%3C343%3AJPNL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 Jan 15

Origins and Roles of Courts and Judges (M) 13-20, 22-46 Martin Shapiro, “The Logic of The Triad.” (UVU Canvas) John Underwood Lewis, Sir Edward Coke (1552-1564): His Theory of “Artificial Reason” as a Context for Modern Basic Legal Theory. (UVU Canvas) James Wilson, The Works of James Wilson, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court..., Vol. 2, Chapter IV, “Of the Nature of Courts,” pp. 287-299. http://books.google.com/books?id=lIs0AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=James+Wilson,+The+Works+of+James+Wilson,+volume+2&hl =en&ei=9bx1TIyKA4W6sQOEqL2hDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=fa lse

Francis Bacon, “The Speech Which Was Used by the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal…,” pp. 497-501, (1617). http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&dq=francis+bacon+law&ei=mw0qTsX5CuSusALs1NCoCw&ct=result&sqi=2& pg=PA497&id=gxEOAQAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Richard Whatley, “Bacon’s Essays: with Annotations,” “Judicature,” pp. 488-496 (1856) http://books.google.com/books?id=yDU_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=francis+bacon&hl=en&ei=lf8pTroeoqqwAsikoJcL &sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CF8Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

1

Jan 17

The Rule-of-Law, The Common Law, and English Constitutionalism Charles Grove Haines, A Survey of the Development of Natural law Doctrines, 1930 Chapter 2 English Higher Law Doctrines, http://www.constitution.org/haines/haines_002.htm Lord Edward Coke, quotes from The First Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England (his commentary upon Littleton), 1628. http://www.commonlaw.com/Coke.html F.A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty, (University of Chicago Press, 1978) pp. 162-175 (scroll forward). (UVU Canvas) Francis Bacon, “The effect of that which was spoken by the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, at the taking of his place in Chancery…,” pp. 486-497, (May 7, 1617). http://books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&dq=francis+bacon+law&ei=mw0qTsX5CuSusALs1NCoCw&ct=result&sqi=2& pg=PA486&id=gxEOAQAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false

William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England in Four Books, 2 vols., pp. 39-62 Introduction, Section II, “Of The Nature of Laws in General,” pp. 48-58 (scroll down). http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=2140&chapter=198645&layout=html&Itemid=27 Jan 22

U.S. Political Origins and Principles, Part I James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, 1764, http://www.constitution.org/bcp/otis_rbcap.htm Samuel Adams, “Rights of the Colonists,” Nov 20, 1772 http://www.constitution.org/bcp/right_col.htm George Washington and George Mason, “Fairfax County Resolves,” 18 July 1774 http://www.virginia1774.org/FairfaxCountyResolves.html Thomas Jefferson, “A Summary View of the Rights of British America,” 1774 http://www.history.org/almanack/life/politics/sumview.cfm?toPrint=yes Patrick Henry, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death Speech,” 1775 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=506 Declaration of Independence, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/declare.asp John Jay, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson on why and when the colonists wanted independence, 1821, pp. 410-417. http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA412&dq=any+description,+express+a+wish+for+the+indepence+of+the+colonies.%22&lr=&c d=12&id=MhlCAAAAIAAJ&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

Jan 24

U.S. Political Origins and Principles, Part II The Federalist 1, 6, 10, 37, 39, 45, 51 http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, October 17, 1788 http://www.constitution.org/jm/17881017_bor.htm Jefferson to Madison, 15 March 1789 http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/print_documents/v1ch14s49.html Robert P. George, “Individual Rights, Collective Interests, Public Law, and American Politics,” Law and Philosophy, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Aug., 1989), pp. 245-261 http://www.jstor.org/stable/3504697?&Search=yes&searchText=%22Robert+P.+George%22&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2Fd oBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dau%253A%2522Robert%2BP.%2BGeorge%2522%26wc%3Don%26fc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=1& ttl=33&returnArticleService=showFullText

2

Jan 29, 31

Institutionalizing the Federal Judiciary (M) 77-82 Edmund Randolph, “On the Federal Constitution,” (Oct.10, 1787) http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1815 Brutus XI http://www.constitution.org/afp/brutus11.htm Imperial Examiner, I, part 2, scroll to Feb 27, 1788 and March 5, 1788 http://www.constitution.org/afp/impar_exam.htm Stanley Elkins & Eric McKitrick, The Age of Federalism, pp. 31-64, 74-75 http://books.google.com/books?id=kPvO9cZ43z4C&pg=PA759&lpg=PA759&dq=Stanley+Elkins+%26+Eric+McKitrick,+The+Age+of+Federa lism&source=bl&ots=NeSFAuke_l&sig=UteqwUtMYCKJSvFOd14UAubptvE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8FioT5JRgZ7bBbbE1aYC&ved=0CGkQ6AE wBQ#v=onepage&q=Stanley%20Elkins%20%26%20Eric%20McKitrick%2C%20The%20Age%20of%20Federalism&f=false

The Federalist 78 http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html Seymour Martin Lipset, The First New Nation: The United States in Historical and Comparative Perspective (W.W. Norton and Company, 1979) pp. 15-60.
(UVU Canvas)

Feb 5, 7

Federal Judiciary: Judicial Review and Structure and Powers (M) 47-55, 61-67 Theodore Plucknett, “Bonham’s Case and Judicial Review,” in Law, Liberty, and Parliament: Selected Essays On The Writings of Sir Edward Coke, Liberty Fund, 2004, Allen D. Boyer (editor), (UVU Canvas) James Otis, Against Writs of Assistance 1761 http://www.constitution.org/bor/otis_against_writs.htm Revisit The Federalist #78 http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html Michael McConnell, “The Story of Marbury v. Madison.”
(UVU Canvas)

(M) 82-100, 113-121, 299-309

Feb 12

Midterm Examination
Lectures: “The Nature and Prominent Theories of Law” – “Federal Judiciary: Judicial Review and Structure and Powers” Bring a number 2 pencil to class

3

Feb 14

Originalism & Textualism Original Intent and Understanding, & Textualism (M) 539-550 Thomas Jefferson, Opinion on the Constitutionality of the Bill for Establishing a National Bank, 15 Feb. 1791, http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/a1_8_18s10.html Edwin Meese, “The Law of the Constitution” http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED278586.pdf Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America: The Political Seduction of the Law (Simon & Schuster, 1991) pp. 133-160 (UVU Canvas) Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, “Originalism: The Lesser Evil” (M) 566-571 Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, A Matter of Interpretation (Princeton University Press, 1998) pp. 3-47. (UVU Canvas)

Feb 19

No class - due to Washington & Lincoln Day, Monday classes will be held on Tuesday, February 19th.
Living Constitution and Judicial Activism

Feb 21

Woodrow Wilson, John Dewey, Herbert Croly, Theodore Roosevelt, Frank Goodnow, Franklin Roosevelt, and James Landis. (M) 579-582 By Ronald J. Pestritto and Thomas G. West, Challenges to the American Founding: Slavery, Historicism, and Progressivism ..., p. 265 http://books.google.com/books?id=WZzU3gTLlIMC&pg=PA265&dq=rise+of+progressivism&hl=en&ei=00BdTtXAJ4q0sQKLm9Us&sa=X&o i=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=rise%20of%20progressivism&f=false

Howard Gillman, “The Political Development and the Origins of the ‘Living Constitution,’” 2007, pp 1-9. http://www.acslaw.org/files/Gillman-Vanderbilt%20Paper%209-2007.pdf Associate Justice William Brennan, “The Constitution of the United States: Contemporary Ratification,” pp. 147-158 http://www.acslaw.org/pdf/ACS_Expounding_FNL.pdf Feb 26

Moral-based Interpretation and The Reemergence of Natural Law Ronald Dworkin, “Taking Rights Seriously” (M) 605-616 Robert P. George, “Natural Law, the Constitution, and the Theory and Practice of Judicial Review.” http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3727&context=flr&seiredir=1#search=%22robert%20p.%20george%20natural%20law%20constitution%20judicial%20review%22 Ronald Dworkin, Life's Dominion: An Argument about Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom. Reviewed by: Robert P. George The American Political Science Review, Vol. 88, No. 2 (Jun., 1994), pp. 444-446 http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2944721.pdf

4

Feb 28

The Rebirth of Classical Liberalism, Libertarianism, and Principled Judicial Activism Frederick Bastiat, The Law, 1850 http://constitution.org/law/bastiat.htm James Huffman, Case For Principled Judicial Activism http://www.heritage.org/Research/LegalIssues/HL456.cfm Clint Bolick, David’s Hammer: The Case for An Activist Judiciary, 2007, pp. 49-68, 157-164
(UVU canvas)

Mar 5, 7

Rebuttal to Living Constitution, Moral Interpretation, & Principled Judicial Activism Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, “The Notion of a Living Constitution,” (M) 600-605 Michael W. McConnell, “The Importance of Humility in Judicial Review: A Comment on Ronald Dworkin’s ‘Moral Reading’ of the Constitution.” http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/? (Go to the Lexisnexis database, then search title in U.S. Legal, law reviews)

Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, “Lawmaking and Interpretation: The Role of A Federal Judge In Our Constitutional Framework,” http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1157&context=mulr&seiredir=1#search=%22Judge%20Diarmuid%20F.%20OScannlain%2C%20Judicial%20Activism%22 Judge Clifford Wallace, “Whose Constitution? An Inquiry into the Limits of Constitutional Interpretation,” in Still the Law of the Land? Essays on Changing Interpretations of the Constitution, Joseph S. McNamara, Executive Editor, Hillsdale College Press, 1987. http://constitution.org/cmt/stlotl/stlotl.htm Keith E. Whittington, “How to Read the Constitution: Self-Government and the Jurisprudence of Originalism.” http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/05/how-to-read-the-constitution-self-government-and-the-jurisprudence-oforiginalism Mar 12, 14

No Class – Spring Break Vacation

Reminder to Study for Final Examination

5

Mar 19, 21

Judicial Selection Partisan Conflicts Bush and appointments, (M) 164-185 Obama appointments, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/11/28/obama-republicans-judges-senate/1715357/ Impact of interest groups Gregory A. Caldeira; John R. Wright, “Lobbying for Justice,” (M) 186-192 Merit plan Justice Thurgood Marshall, “Comments on the Missouri Plan,” (M) 205-209 The Battle of the Bork Robert H. Bork, The Tempting of America: The Political Seduction of the Law (Simon & Schuster, 1991) pp. 271-343, (UVU Canvas)

Mar 26, 28

Barriers to the Courts (M) 253-266

Apr 2, 4, 9

Limits on Judicial Power Checks (M) 142-151, 209-211, 331-344 Thomas Jefferson to Charles Hammond, August 18, 1821, pp. 330-333 http://books.google.com/books?id=P0cWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR12&lpg=PR12&dq=Thomas+Jefferson+to+Thomas+Ritchie,+Sep.+18 20&source=bl&ots=39QH54DkZe&sig=Hht3OeB84eJQReY_jiwGzHPgydg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1ToJT5r_GampiQKZoNDxCw&ved =0CDoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=judiciary&f=false

Popular Constitutionalism Larry D. Kramer, “Popular Constitutionalism, circa 2004.” http://www.jstor.org/stable/3481314?&Search=yes&searchText=%22Popular+Constitutionalism%22&searchText=Kramer%2C&sear chText=D.&searchText=Larry&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DLarry%2BD.%2BKramer%252C %2B%25E2%2580%259CPopular%2BConstitutionalism%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=3&ttl=132&returnArticl eService=showFullText

Tea Party Movement http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/weekinreview/14liptak.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882404575520252928390046.html

Scroll down to “Guidelines fort selection of Supreme Court Judges…” http://www.patriots-teaparty.com/#Guidelines_for_Selection_of_Supreme_Court_Judges 6

Apr 11, 16

Judicial Independence
(M) 276-277 Jim Yardley, “A Judge Tests China's Courts, Making History,” Wall Street Journal (November 28, 2005), Guy Chazan, “Benched: In Russia's Courts, A Judge Speaks Up-- And Gets Fired, Political Pressure, Corruption Taint Post-Soviet Justice; Prosecutors Wield Clout, The Trials of Ms. Kudeshkina,” The Wall Street Journal (August 5, 2004)
UVU Blackboard

FDR, “Fireside Chat on Reorganization of the Judiciary,” March 9, 1937 http://www.mhrcc.org/fdr/chat9.html Testimony of Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Judicial Security and Independence, February 14, 2007 http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?renderforprint=1&id=e655f9e2809e5476862f735da1200c37&wit_id=e655f9e2809 e5476862f735da1200c37-1-1

Last Day of Class Instruction SRI receipt due in class

Apr 18

Review Session at the Center in class

FINAL EXAMINATION

April

Final Examination in Class
(Lectures: “Judicial Interpretation, Part I: Originalism & Textualism” – “Judicial Independence”)

 Dr. Griffin reserves the right to alter, revise, amend, or eliminate any portion of this course syllabus.  Any discussion of the law is solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as personal legal advice. ____________________________________________________________________________________________

7