Constitutional Law

Professor Jack M. Balkin

Yale Law School

Fall 1998

Syllabus

 


Unless otherwise noted, all page references are to Brest and Levinson, Processes of Constitutional Decisionmaking (3d ed. 1992). References to the 1995 Supplement are designated as "1995 Supp." Readings in the 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. 9-10
  
• James Madison's Speech on the Bank, pp. 10-13
  
• Notes on the First Bank, pp. 13-17
  
• Note on the Second Bank, pp. 18-19
  
• McCulloch v. Maryland and Notes, pp. 19-49
  
• Note on the Chinese Exclusion Case, 1995 Supp., pp. 32-35
  
• Note on the Doctrine of Nullification, 1995 Supp., pp. 35-37

2. Judicial Review

• Andrew Jackson's Veto Message, pp. 49-57
  

• Note on the Alien and Sedition Acts, pp. 57-68
  
• Notes and Marbury v. Madison, pp. 69-98

3. National and State Power

A. The Marshall Court's Approach

• Gibbons v. Ogden and Notes, pp. 111-122
  

• Note on Language, Purpose, and Meaning, pp. 123-129

B. The Taney Court's Approach

• Note on the Taney Court, pp. 141-142.
  

• Notes and Swift and Tyson, pp. 151-53
  
• Mayor of the City of New York v. Miln and Notes, pp. 153-64

C. The Cooley Accommodation

• Cooley v. Board of Wardens and Notes, pp. 164-173
  

• Note on the Privileges and Immunities clause of Article IV and Personal Mobility, pp. 173-177

4. The Natural Law Tradition and Slavery

• The Declaration of Independence, Supp., p. 1
  

• Fletcher v. Peck and Notes, pp. 98-105
  
• Notes on the Natural Law Tradition and Calder v. Bull, pp. 105-111
  
• (Note particularly Barron v. City of Baltimore note 3, p. 109)
  
• The Antelope, pp. 129-33
  
• Notes and Prigg v. Pennsylvania, pp. 178-193
  
• Note on Prigg, 1995 Supp., pp. 41-43
  
• Dred Scott v. Sandford and Notes, pp. 193-206
  
• Frederick Douglass, The Constitution of the United States: Is it Pro-Slavery or Anti-Slavery? and Notes, pp. 206-211
  
• Note on the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, pp. 211-216

5. The Civil War

• Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, pp. 216-17
  

• Senator Benjamin's speech on the case for secession, Supp., pp. 2-5
  
• The Prize Cases, pp. 217-220
  
• Notes on the Suspension of Habeas Corpus, pp. 220-223
  
• Note on the Emancipation Proclamation, pp. 223-227
  
• Note, 1995 Supp., pp 43-44

6. Reconstruction and Reaction

A. Introduction

• The Gettysburg Address, Supp., p. 6
  

• The Historical Background of the Reconstruction Amendments, pp. 229-237
  
• Note on the Fourteenth Amendment, 1995 Supp., pp. 45-46
  
• The Fourteenth Amendment, pp. lii

B. The Reconstruction Amendments and Race

• Strauder v. West Virginia and Notes, pp. 237-240
  

• Minor v. Happersett and Notes, pp. 241-244
  
• Dissenting Opinion of Field, J., in Ex Parte Virginia, 1995 Supp., pp. 46-48
  
• Plessy v. Ferguson and Notes, pp. 244-254
  
• The Civil Rights Cases and Notes, pp. 254-262
  
• Balkin, The Constitution of Status, Supp., pp. 175-189

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

• The Slaughterhouse Cases and Notes, pp. 262-278
  

• Bradwell v. Illinois, pp. 279-280

7. The Lochner Era

A. Due Process

• Notes on the Rise of Substantive Due Process, pp. 280-285
  

• Lochner v. State of New York and Notes, pp. 285-300

B. Federalism and National Powers

• Note on the Eleventh Amendment, pp. 300-02
  

• Notes and Champion v. Ames, pp. 310-316
  
• Hammer v. Dagenhart and Notes, pp. 317-322
  
• Note on Hammer, 1995 Supp., pp. 49-52
  
• Note on the Taxing and Spending Powers, pp. 322-328

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

A. Due Process and Economic Liberty

• Nebbia v. New York and Notes, pp. 341-343
  

• Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell and Notes, pp. 343-352
  
• Notes and West Coast Hotel v. Parrish, pp. 352-356

B. National Power

• NLRB v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp. and Notes, pp. 379-381
  

• United States v. Darby and Notes, pp. 381-384
  
• Wickard v. Filburn and Notes, pp. 384-386
  
• Notes on the Taxing and Spending Powers, pp. 386-390, 397-99
  
• Katzenbach v. McClung and Notes, pp. 390-396, 399-400

9. The Modern Paradigm of Constitutional Scrutiny

A. Due Process

• U.S. v. Carolene Products Co., Supp., pp. 7-14
  

• Williamson v. Lee Optical Co. and Notes, pp. 357-362
  
• Notes on Incorporation, pp. 545-554
  
• Balkin, The Footnote, Supp., pp. 140-154
  
• Ackerman, Beyond Carolene Products, pp. 154-166
  
• Balkin, The Constitution of Status, Supp., pp. 221-228

B. Equal Protection

• Notes on the Rational Basis Standard, pp. 554-579
  

• Nordlinger v. Hahn and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 157-171

10. The Contemporary Debate over National Power

A. Implied Limits on Federal Regulation of the States

• Notes on State Sovereignty, pp. 400-407
  

• Notes and National League of Cities v. Usery, pp. 407-411
  
• Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority and Notes, pp. 411-422
  
• Note on the Political Safeguards of Federalism, pp. 422-423
  
• New York v. United States and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 108-136
  
• Printz v. United States, Supp., pp. 15-29

B. The Reach of the Commerce Clause

• United States v. Lopez and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 82-108
  

• Note on the Freedom of Choice Act of 1993, 1995 Supp., pp.137-39

C. Congressional Power under Section 5

• City of Boerne v. Flores, Supp., pp. 30-33
  

• Text of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Supp., pp. 34-35

D. Term Limits

• U.S. Term Limits v. Thorton and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 395-439

11. The Modern Debate over Racial Equality

A. Brown and Its Legacy

• Notes on the Original Understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment, pp. 581-585
  

• Brown v. Board of Education and Notes, pp. 585-589
  
• Notes on Original Intention, pp. 589-611
  
• 1995 Supp., pp. 173-175

B. School Desegregation

• Cases and Notes on School Desegregation, pp. 611-642
  

• Missouri v. Jenkins and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 175-202
  
• United States v. Fordice and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 202-226

12. The Antidiscrimination Principle

• Korematsu v. United States and Notes, pp. 474-480
  

• Cases and Notes on the Antidiscrimination Principle, pp. 642-633
  
• Loving v. Virginia, Supp., pp. 36-42
  
• Cases and Notes, pp. 654-59
  
• Balkin, The Constitution of Status, Supp., pp. 196-212

13. What Constitutes Discrimination Based on Race?

• Note and Griggs v. Duke Power Co., pp. 687-689
  

• Washington v. Davis and Notes, pp. 689-696
  
• Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development
  
• Corp. and Notes, pp. 659-664
  
• Batson v. Kentucky and Notes, pp. 664-670
  
• Georgia v. McCollum, 1995 Supp, pp. 227-234
  
• Note on Mixed Race Identity, 1995 Supp., pp. 234-237
  
• Cases and Notes pp. 670-678
  
• Lawrence, the Id, the Ego, and Equal Protection, pp. 696-700
  
• McCleskey v. Kemp and Notes, pp. 678-686
  
• Hunter v. Ericson and Notes, pp. 700-709
  
• United States v. Armstrong, Supp., p. 43

14. Affirmative Action

A. The Road to Strict Scrutiny

• University of California v. Bakke and Notes, pp. 709-734
  

• City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., and Notes, pp. 758-783
  
• Adarand Constructors v. Pena and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 237-269
  
• Hopwood v. State of Texas, Supp., pp. 44-82

B. Private Affirmative Action, Layoffs and Court Ordered Remedies

• United Steelworkers v. Weber, pp. 734-737
  

• Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education, pp. 738-750
  
• United States v. Paradise, pp. 750-753

15. Majority-Minority Voting Districts

• Shaw v. Reno and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 355-395
  

• Bush v. Vera, Supp., pp. 83-89
  
• Shaw v. Hunt, Supp., pp. 89-92

16. Gender Classifications and Gender Equality

• Notes and Frontiero v. Richardson, pp. 805-813
  

• Notes on the Equal Rights Amendment, pp. 875-877
  
• Notes on Gender Dependent Employment Practices, pp. 814-820
  
• Cases and Notes, pp. 821-825
  
• Note on Affirmative Action, pp. 872-875
  
• MacKinnon, Towards a Feminist Theory of the State, pp. 842-843
  
• Mississippi University for Women v. Hogan, pp. 826-829
  
• United States v. Virginia, Supp., pp. 93-104
  
• J.E.B. v. Alabama Ex Rel. T.B. and Notes, 1995 Supp., pp. 271-286
  
• Note on Ascribing Sexual or Gender Identity, 1995 Supp., pp. 286-289

17. Gender Classifications and Pregnancy

• Cases and Notes on Constitutional Treatment of Pregnancy pp. 830-836
  

• Williams, Equality's Riddle, pp. 836-839
  
• Littleton, Reconstructing Sexual Equality, pp. 839-842
  
• Michael M. v. Superior Court and Notes, pp. 844-854
  
• Frances Olsen, Statutory Rape: A Feminist Critique of Rights Analysis, pp. 854-856
  
• Miller v. Albright, Supp., pp. 105-107

18. Gender Classifications and the Military

• Rostker v. Goldberg and Notes, pp. 856-59
  

• Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney and Notes, pp. 859-866
  
• Note on the Use of Gender Specific Actuarial Tables, pp. 866-872

19. Other Suspect Classifications

• Note on Other Suspect Classifications, pp. 877-878
  

• Graham v. Richardson and Notes, pp. 1393-1405
  
• City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center and Notes, pp. 878-888

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

• Notes and Griswold v. Connecticut, pp. 943-958
  

• Theories of Fundamental Rights Adjudication, pp. 958-68
  
• Notes and Michael H. v. Gerald D, pp. 969-982
  
• Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health and Notes, pp. 1033-1051
  
• Washington v. Glucksberg, Supp., pp. 108-116
  
• Vacco v. Quill, Supp., p. 117

21. Abortion and Gender Discrimination

• Roe v. Wade and Notes, pp. 982-1001
  

• Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health and Notes, pp. 1001-1009
  
• Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, 1009-1017
  
• Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey and Notes, Supp., pp. 14-32, 291-354

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

• Bowers v. Hardwick and Notes, pp. 1018-1028
  

• High Tech Gays v. Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office and Notes, pp. 1028-1032
  
• Notes and Watkins v. United States Army, Supp., pp 118-121
  
• Notes on Don't Ask Don't Tell, Supp., pp. 121-122
  
• Romer v. Evans and Notes, Supp., pp. 123-134
  
• Baehr v. Lewin and Notes, Supp., pp. 134-139
  
• Balkin, The Constitution of Status, Supp., pp. 167-174, 189-196, 212-221

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

• Note on Constitutional Barriers to the Welfare State, 1995 Supp., pp. 441-445
  

• Note and Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, pp. 1111-1122
  
• Shapiro v. Thompson and Notes, pp. 1210-1235
  
• Cases and Notes on Access to Courts, pp. 1136-1148
  
• Note on the Affirmative Right to Legal Representation, 1995 Supp., pp. 447-448
  
• San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and Notes, pp. 1248-1266
  
• Plyler v. Doe and Notes, pp. 1267-1276

24. The Welfare State and the Problem of Unconstitutional Conditions

• Note on Unconstitutional Conditions, pp. 1186-1190
  

• Maher v. Roe and Notes, pp. 1235-1248
  
• Rust v. Sullivan and Notes, pp. 1199-1210
  
• Bowen v. Gilliard, 1995 Supp., pp. 449-468
  
• Lyng v. International Union, United Auto Workers and Notes, pp. 1290-1299

25. To Be Announced

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