Conlaw.net

Sample Syllabus —Balkin

Constitutional Law
Professor Jack M. Balkin
Yale Law School
Syllabus

This is a modified version of the four hour introductory course I regularly teach. The first half of the course is historical—covering events up to 1937. The second half of the course is topical, focusing on federalism and equality issues. If you don’t want to teach the welfare state issues at the end of the course you could substitute two classes on presidential power instead.  (If you did so, you might consider covering presidential power earlier).

Unless otherwise noted, all page references are to Brest, Levinson, Balkin and Amar, Processes of Constitutional Decisionmaking (4th ed. 2000). Readings in the 2000 Supplement to the casebook are noted as "2000 Supplement." All other supplemental materials are designated as "Supp."

1. Introduction: Interpreting the Constitution

• The Constitution of the United States, pp. xli-lvi
  

• Historical Background of the Constitution, pp. 1-7
  
• Note on the First Bank, pp. 7-8
  
• James Madison's Speech on the Bank, pp. 8-11
  
• Notes on the First Bank, pp. 11-16
  
• Note on the Second Bank, pp. 16-17
  
• McCulloch v. Maryland and Notes, pp. 17-51
  
• Note on the Louisiana Purchase, pp. 73-75

2. Constitutional Interpreters

A. The Executive Branch and the States

• Andrew Jackson's Veto Message and Notes, pp. 51-56
  

• Note on Presidential Authority, pp. 56-58
  
• The Alien and Sedition Acts, pp. 60-65
  
• Note on the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798-99, pp. 65-67
  
• Note on the Doctrine of Nullification, pp. 67-70

B. Judicial Review

• Note on the Marshall Court, pp. 71-73
  

• Note on Judicial Review of State Legislation, pp. 75-79
  
• Notes and Marbury v. Madison, pp. 79-96
  
• Notes on Judicial Review, pp. 96-103

3. National and State Power

A. The Marshall Court's Approach

• Gibbons v. Ogden and Notes, pp. 126-137
  

• Note on Language, Purpose, and Meaning, pp. 138-143

B. The Taney Court's Approach

• Note on the Taney Court, pp. 145-147
  

• Note on Swift v. Tyson, pp. 147-148
  
• Mayor of the City of New York v. Miln and Notes, pp. 148-160

C. The Cooley Accommodation

• Cooley v. Board of Wardens and Notes, pp. 160-164
  

• Note on the Privileges and Immunities clause of Article IV and Personal Mobility, pp. 164-168

4. The Natural Law Tradition and Slavery

A. Natural Law

• The Declaration of Independence, Supp.
  

• Fletcher v. Peck and Notes, pp. 104-109
  
• Note on the Natural Law Tradition and Calder v. Bull, pp. 109-110
  
• Calder v. Bull and Notes, pp. 111-116
  (Note particularly Barron v. City of Baltimore p. 113)

B. Slavery

• Notes on Slavery, pp. 168-173
  

• Notes and Prigg v. Pennsylvania, pp. 173-181
  
• Dred Scott v. Sandford and Notes, pp. 182-207
  
• Frederick Douglass, The Constitution of the United States: Is it Pro-Slavery or Anti-Slavery? and Notes, pp. 207-211
  
• Note on the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, pp. 211-214

5. The Civil War

• Notes and Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, pp. 214-215
  

• Senator Benjamin's speech on the case for secession, pp. 215-219
  
• The Prize Cases, pp. 219-222
  
• Notes on the Suspension of Habeas Corpus, pp. 222-225
  
• Note on the Emancipation Proclamation, pp. 225-231
  
• The Legal Tender Cases, pp. 231-239

6. Reconstruction and Reaction

A. Introduction

• The Gettysburg Address, Supp.
  

• History of the Adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment, pp. 241-249
  
• Note on The Unusual Procedural History of the Fourteenth Amendment, pp. 249-255
  
• The Fourteenth Amendment, pp. li-lii

B. The Reconstruction Amendments and Race

• Strauder v. West Virginia and Notes, pp. 259-265
  

• Note on The New Departure pp. 265-270
  
• Plessy v. Ferguson and Notes, pp. 270-281
  
• Charles Black, the Lawfulness of the Segregation Decisions, pp. 281-283
  
• Note on The Spirit of Plessy, pp. 283-285
  
• The Civil Rights Cases and Notes, pp. 285-296
  
• Balkin, The Constitution of Status, Supp.

C. The Reconstruction Amendments and the Privileges and Immunities of National Citizenship

• The Slaughterhouse Cases and Notes, pp. 315-330
  

• Bradwell v. Illinois and Notes, pp. 330-332

7. The Lochner Era

A. Due Process

• Notes on the Rise of Substantive Due Process, pp. 332-337
  

• Lochner v. State of New York and Notes, pp. 337-343
  
• Notes on the Jurisprudence of the Lochner Era, pp. 343-351

B. Federalism and National Powers

• Notes and Champion v. Ames, pp. 355-362
  

• Hammer v. Dagenhart and Notes, pp. 362-369
  
• Note on the Taxing Power, pp. 369-371
  
• Note on the Spending Power, pp. 371-374
  
• Note on the Treaty Power, pp. 374-378

C. The Progressive Era Amendments

• Constitutional Innovation during the Progressive Period, pp. 387-399

8. The New Deal and the Emergence of the Modern Paradigm

• Nebbia v. New York and Notes, pp. 415-417
  

• Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell and Notes, pp. 417-426
  
• Notes and West Coast Hotel v. Parrish, pp. 426-428

9. The Modern Paradigm of Constitutional Scrutiny

• U.S. v. Carolene Products Co., pp. 428-435
  

• Williamson v. Lee Optical Co. and Notes, pp. 435-442
  
• Notes on Incorporation, pp. 401-410
  
• Balkin, The Footnote, Supp.
  
• Ackerman, Beyond Carolene Products, Supp.
  
• Balkin, The Constitution of Status, Supp.

10. National Power from the New Deal to the Rehnquist Court

• NLRB v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp. and Notes, pp. 464-465
  

• United States v. Darby and Notes, pp. 465-468
  
• Wickard v. Filburn and Notes, pp. 468-471
  
• Notes on the use of the Commerce Power in Civil Rights Legislation and Katzenbach v. McClung, pp. 471-476
  
• Notes on the Taxing and Spending Powers, pp. 476-483

11. The Contemporary Debate over National Power

A. The Reach of the Commerce Clause

• United States v. Lopez and Notes, pp. 511-533
  

• United States v. Morrison and Notes, 2000 Supplement, pp. 9-43

B. The Taxing and Spending Power

• South Dakota v. Dole and Notes, pp. 533-535

C. Implied Limits on Federal Regulation of the States

• Notes on State Sovereignty, pp. 551-555
  

• Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority and Notes, pp. 555-565
  
• Notes and Gregory v. Ashcroft, pp. 565-576
  
• New York v. United States and Notes, pp. 576-595
  
• Printz v. United States, pp. 595-608
  
• Reno v. Condon, 2000 Supplement, p. 55
  
• Alden v. Maine and Notes, pp. 608-611
  
• Note on the Eleventh Amendment, pp 611-613
  
• Note on Term Limits, pp. 613-614

D. Congressional Power under Section 5

• Notes and South Carolina v. Katzenbach, pp. 483-488
  

• Katzenbach v. Morgan and Notes, pp. 488-503
  
• Jones v. Alfred Mayer Co. and Notes, pp. 503-505
  
• Oregon v. Mitchell and Notes, pp. 506-511
  
• City of Boerne v. Flores, pp. 535-551
  
• United States v. Morrison and Notes, 2000 Supp., pp. 44-54
  
• Note and Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents, 2000 Supp., pp. 56-58

12. The Modern Debate over Racial Equality

A. Brown and Its Legacy

• Notes on the Original Understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Background to the School Desegregation Case, pp. 737-742
  

• Brown v. Board of Education and Notes, pp. 742-746
  
• Notes on Brown and the Original Understanding, pp. 746-763
  
• Reflections on the Opinion in Brown, pp. 764-768

B. School Desegregation

• Four Decades of School Desegregation, pp. 768-787
  

• Missouri v. Jenkins and Notes, pp. 788-794
  
• United States v. Fordice and Notes, pp. 794-800

13. The Antidiscrimination Principle

A. Anticlassification and Antisubordination

• Loving v. Virginia and Notes, pp. 801-810
  

• Korematsu v. United States and Notes, pp. 810-822
  
• Note on Discrimination Against Asian-Americans and the Black/White Paradigm, pp. 823-824
  
• What Justifies the Suspect Classification Standard, pp. 824-831

B. What is "Race"?

• Hernandez v. Texas and Notes, pp. 831-835
  

• Note on the Social and Legal Construction of Race, pp. 835-841
  
• Note on Custody, Adoption, and Race, pp. 841-846

14. What Constitutes Discrimination "based on" Race?

A. Intent

• What is a "Race-Dependent" Decision, pp. 846-849
  

• Note and Griggs v. Duke Power Co., pp. 849-851
  
• Washington v. Davis and Notes, pp. 851-860
  
• Commentaries on the Intent Standard, pp. 860-867
  
• Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp. and Notes, pp. 867-873

B. Race and the Criminal Process

• United States v. Clary and Notes, pp. 873-876
  

• Batson v. Kentucky and Notes, pp. 876-884
  
• McCleskey v. Kemp and Notes, pp. 884-892
  
• Note on Racial Profiling and the Equal Protection Clause, pp. 892-894

15. Affirmative Action

• University of California v. Bakke and Notes, pp. 898-920
  

• Note on Affirmative Action from Bakke to Croson, pp. 920-926
  
• City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., and Notes, pp. 926-953
  
• Adarand Constructors v. Pena and Notes, pp. 953-967
  
• Note on Affirmative Action and Original Intention, pp. 967-973
  
• Hopwood v. State of Texas and Notes, pp. 973-982

16. Gender Classifications and Gender Equality

A. Basic Theoretical Issues

• Notes and Frontiero v. Richardson, pp. 985-994
  

• Note on the Equal Rights Amendment, pp. 994-996
  
• What Justifies Special Constitutional Scrutiny, pp. 996-1007

B. "Archaic and Overbroad" Generalizations

• The Rejection of "Archaic and Overbroad" Generalizations, pp 1007-1015
  

• J.E.B. v. Alabama and Notes, pp. 1015-1021
  
• Note on Discrimination Against Women of Color, pp. 1021-1022
  
• Note on Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation, pp. 1022-1025

C. Separate Facilities for Men and Women

• United States v. Virginia and Notes, pp. 1025-1044
  

• Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan and Notes, pp. 1044-1050
  
• Garrett v. Board of Education and Notes, pp. 1050-1053

17. What is Discrimination "on the basis of" Sex?

A. Intent

• Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney and Notes, pp. 1053-1060
  

• Note on Domestic Violence and the Equal Protection Clause, pp. 1060-1065

B. Pregnancy

• Geduldig v. Aiello and Notes, pp. 1065-1073
  

• The Feminist Legal Debate about Pregnancy and Equality, pp. 1073-1078
  
• Miller v. Albright and Notes, pp. 1079-1087
  
• Note on Putative Parenthood, pp. 1087-1088
  
• Note on Sex Neutrality in Rape Laws, pp. 1088-1089
  
• Notes and Michael M. v. Superior Court and Notes, pp. 1089-1102
  
• Frances Olsen, Statutory Rape: A Feminist Critique of Rights Analysis, pp. 1102-1104

18. Women in the Military

• The History of Women's Military Service and the Combat Exclusion, pp. 1104-1106
  

• The Constitutionality of the Combat Exclusion, pp. 1106-1108
  
• The Draft, pp. 1109-1113
  
• Affirmative Action, pp. 1113-1119

19. Other Suspect Classifications

• Graham v. Richardson and Notes, pp. 1492-1495
  

• Bernal v. Fainter and Notes, pp. 1495-1505
  
• City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center and Notes, pp. pp. 1119-1129

20. Modern Substantive Due Process: "Privacy," Sexual Autonomy or Tradition?

• Notes and Griswold v. Connecticut, pp. 1131-1146
  

• Theories of Fundamental Rights Adjudication, pp. 1146-1155
  
• Notes and Michael H. v. Gerald D, pp. 1155-1171
  
• Troxel v. Granville and Notes, 2000 Supplement, pp. 65-78
  
• Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health and Notes, pp. 1326-1340
  
• Washington v. Glucksberg, Vacco v. Quill, and Notes, pp. 1340-1360

21. Abortion and Gender Discrimination

• Roe v. Wade and Notes, pp. 1172-1188
  

• Note: Was Roe a Political Mistake?, pp. 1188-1190
  
• Abortion and the Equal Protection Clause, pp. 1190-1199
  
• Note on Decisions After Roe, pp. 1199-1202
  
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey and Notes, pp. 1202-1242
  
• Stenberg v. Carhart and Notes, 2000 Supplement, pp. 79-86

22. Sexual Orientation-- Due Process or Equal Protection?

• Bowers v. Hardwick and Notes, pp. 1242-1259
  

• Romer v. Evans and Notes, pp. 1259-1275
  
• Watkins v. United States Army and Notes, pp. 1275-1297
  
• Military Service, pp. 1287-1300
  
• Thomasson v. Perry and Notes, pp. 1300-1313
  
• Baehr v. Lewin and Notes, pp. 1313-1323
  
• Baker v. State and Notes, 2000 Supplement, pp. 87-92
  
• Boy Scouts of America v. Dale and Notes, 2000 Supplement, pp. 93-99
  
• Note on Child Custody, pp. 1323-1326

23. The Constitutional Status of the Welfare State: Rights to Government Services

• Note on Constitutional Barriers to the Welfare State, pp. 1361-1364
  

• Lyng v. International Union, United Auto Workers and Notes, pp. 1364-1370
  
• The Rise of the Modern Welfare State, pp. 1397-1400
  
• Does the Constitution Affirmatively Guarantee Any Welfare Rights, pp. 1370-1384
  
• Note and Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, pp. 1384-1393
  
• M.L.B. v. S.L.J. and Notes, pp. 1393-1397
  
• Shapiro v. Thompson and Notes, pp. 1505-1518
  
• Saenz v. Roe and Notes, pp. 1518-1526

24. The Welfare State and Equality

• Note on Unconstitutional Conditions, pp. 1415-1419
  

• Maher v. Roe and Notes, pp. 1526-1536
  
• Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia and Notes, pp. 1536-1543
  
• Rust v. Sullivan and Notes, pp. 1457-1467
  
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and Notes, pp. 1543-1560
  
• Plyler v. Doe and Notes, pp. 1560-1571

25. To Be Announced