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Constitutional Issues is a course that looks at important questions involving government power, individual rights, civil rights, and public policy. Policymakers and citizens look to the Supreme Court to interpret the United States Constitution. In this course the rulings of the Supreme Court are looked at in their historical, legal, political and social context. The rulings of the Supreme Court are the last word on what the Constitution means. The Constitution creates our government structure and organizes the balance between liberty and authority. The Constitution provides a legal framework for our political institutions. The legislative, executive, and judicial branches serve different purposes. The political system, established by the Constitution, creates checks and balances with the three branches of government. The Constitution also establishes the system of federalism. The national and state governments share governmental powers under the principle of federalism. Most importantly, the Constitution establishes a republican form of government. A republic is government ultimately dependent on the support of the public. The Supreme Court considers all of these factors, as well as legal precedent, when cases are decided. In today's society the Supreme Court is confronted with many significant questions: Does a public policy treat citizens equally? What is required for a person accused of a crime to be proven guilty? What is fair? Should a mentally ill convict be executed? When does life begin? When does life end? Are all religious practices protected by the Constitution? Can a moment of silence be required in public schools? Each person makes his or her own personal decision on these and other matters, but the Supreme Court makes decisions that affect all of us.
You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. These materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct. Textbook
This text examines the impact of Supreme Court decisions in the area of the rights and freedoms of the individual. It provides a glossary of legal terms and several appendices: one is information on how to brief a Supreme Court case and a second is an Internet guide to legal research. Also included is the Constitution of the United States. This is a casebook, which means abridged Supreme Court decisions are included with extensive historical information to place the decision in its contemporary context. Supreme Court Supplement
These two cases were argued and decided in 2003. They are provided in this document, in hard copy. You may also be able to find the full text of the cases online through www.findlaw.com. (Currently on the Findlaw site you can reach the cases by clicking "Search Cases & Codes," then "U.S. Supreme Court," then "2003 Decisions.")
READING SUPREME COURT OPINIONS Although you will be able to complete all of the assignments and successfully take the exams using only the textbook, your understanding of constitutional law will be deepened if you read the opinions of the Supreme Court justices in key cases. Within Course Documents there is a document called "Introduction to the Judiciary and the Supreme Court." In the section titled "Internet Sources on the Supreme Court" you will find several Internet sites that provide the text of Supreme Court opinions. (These are also available on other sites.) There is no substitute for reading the opinions of the justices in these landmark cases.
Constitutional Issues is a three-credit online course. It consists of six modules. Weekly study assignments include text readings. Each module also has study questions. You are required to participate in four graded online discussions and an ungraded "Introductions" forum, which occurs during the first module. You are also required to take a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored online final examination. For the course's assignment modules (study assignments, online discussions, study questions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See the course Calendar for a detailed week-by-week schedule.)
In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in the first module, Constitutional Issues requires you to participate in four graded class discussions. Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (that is, your understanding of readings, and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (that is, the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful. Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.
STUDY QUESTIONS AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS Constitutional Issues includes both study questions and written assignments in every module. For these questions and assignments, see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. Take the time to familiarize yourself with this section of the course site, and read through the study and assignment questions before you begin each module. Study
Questions Written
Assignments Answer all questions as directed. Your answers to the essay questions should be well developed and supported with references from the Supreme Court decisions you have in your text and in the 2003 supplement. Be sure to include the name of the case. For example, in an answer discussing the development of the equal protection clause you might include a discussion of the concept "separate but equal" put forth in Plessy v. Ferguson. In your written essay you might say: "In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) the Supreme Court established the concept of separate but equal. In that decision the Supreme Court defined separate but equal as. .". The point of the written assignments is to demonstrate what you know from your readings and to what extent you can apply this information to new situations. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin the reading for that assignment. If you need help in writing, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also, formulate responses in your own words. Do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA or APA guidelines (see also Basic Documentation Rules). Due dates for each assignment are listed in the course Calendar. Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled. Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program. When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the >>View/Complete Assignment link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.
This course requires you to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Midterm
Examination You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation during the first week of the semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.) For more information on scheduling examinations, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook. Final
Examination The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course site at the start of the last week of the semester. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam. Sample
Examination
Statement
about Cheating
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course. Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the final examination are based on the following numerical grades:
Note: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.
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Steps to Success
Study Tips
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