Civil Rights SYLLABUS http://staff.gc.maricopa.edu/~tmcclory/cr.htm Course POS 223 3628 Spring 04 3 credits MWF 9:00–9:50a Glendale Community College Instructor: Toni McClory Telephone: (623) 845-3730 Email: [email protected] <== The best way to reach me! Office: 05-135 (same building as bookstore) Office hours: MWF 8-9a; MW 11–12; TR 11-12; other times by appointment Class website: http://staff.gc.maricopa.edu/~tmcclory/cr.htm (for handouts, assignments, study guides, extra credit, and interesting links) Required textbook Epstein & Walker, Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties and Justice, 5th ed. (CQ Press 2004) About the course This course focuses on the constitutional guarantees of liberty and equality in six different contexts: free-dom of expression, freedom of religion, personal privacy, the right to bear arms, criminal justice, and equal rights. Our primary text will be Supreme Court decisions. We will study landmark rulings as well as cur-rent controversies over abortion, affirmative action, assisted suicide, the death penalty, gay rights, hate speech, Internet pornography, school prayer, anti-terrorism measures, and more. Students should leave the course with a richer understanding of: (1) the diverse groups and viewpoints that make up American soci-ety; (2) the tension that exists between personal freedom and social order; and (3) the courts’ pivotal role in resolving social conflict. POS 223 is designed for political science majors as well as for students interested in law, history, sociology, social work, philosophy, education, and business. The challenging reading and writing exercises will develop critical thinking skills that are beneficial to most professions. The course qualifies for both Cultural Diversity (C) and Social and Behavioral Science (SB) credit at ASU. There are no prerequisites. Classroom policies  The primary assignment in this course is to keep up with the reading. You are expected to come to class prepared to intelligently discuss the cases assigned for each session. In the beginning everyone has trou-ble reading Supreme Court cases—don’t panic! It gets much easier with practice.  Because a significant portion of the course will be presented by lecture, regular attendance is strongly advised.  Late work will be accepted. However, unless you have a compelling excuse, there will be a 10% late penalty.  Warning: I’m a real stickler for doing your own work and thinking. This means that the papers you submit should be entirely your own words and syntax (unless you are quoting and give proper attribu-tion). There are no group projects in this class.  Please keep a copy of all your work until the end of the semester as insurance against loss by you or me. Taping of lectures and class discussions is not permitted without permission. Please let me know if you have any special needs that require accommodation and make appropriate arrangements with the Dis-ability and Services Office, 623.845.3080. Grading Your grade will be based upon the following point system: 8 short case briefs = 10 points each 2 papers = (first paper = 60 points; second paper = 100 points) Appellate court visit & write-up = 60 points 3 exams (multiple choice format) = 100 points each ================================================= Total points = 600 (without extra credit) The final grade will be assigned on a scale of: A = 540 or higher; B = 480–539; C = 420–538; D = 360–419; F = below 360. Strong classroom participation will be credited in borderline cases. Extra credit Extra credit assignments are posted on the class website. The assignments are designed to enrich the regu-lar curriculum and are strongly encouraged. They can be turned in at any time up to the last regular class meeting. Up to 60 extra points can be earned. Important dates 2/4 Texas v. Johnson brief due 2/20 Exam 1 3/1 Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe brief due 3/10 Planned Parenthood v. Casey brief due 3/12 Paper 1 due 3/24 Exam 2 3/29 Kyllo v. United States brief due 4/5 Miranda v. Arizona brief due 4/14 Atkins v. Virginia brief due 4/23 Paper 2 due 4/28 U.S. v. Virginia brief due 5/5 Grutter v. Bollinger brief due 5/7 Court report due; last day to submit extra credit 5/10 Exam