This course will highlight the construction and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution through the centuries. You'll learn the history behind the Constitution, cases that formed important precedent, and how changes in interpretation have been dependent on shifts in cultural and political climate as well as the composition of the Supreme Court.
We'll start with an overview of the Constitution where we'll consider questions such as "Why the Constitution?" and "What function does the Constitution serve?" Next we'll examine how the Constitution and its subsequent interpretation established the powers of the federal, legislative, and judicial branches of government and allocated powers to the states. Join me as we look at the questions both raised and answered by the Constitution and those that interpret it! By the end of this course, you should be able to: - Describe how the structure of the United States government has been shaped by both the text of the Constitution and by subsequent interpretation and practice of political actors in all branches of government - Illustrate compromises found in the Constitution by citing examples and historic background - Articulate the importance of key cases such as Marbury v. Madison, McCullough v. Maryland, and Lochner v. New York - Explain how the outcome of cases is often dependent upon the current cultural and political climate as well as the composition of the court by citing particular cases and important shifts in the court's jurisprudence - Assess the relative suitability of various approaches to constitutional interpretation and analysis
DF
There is only one Chemerinsky on Con Law, and he's Dean of Berkeley Law now!
BP
See my notes from part 2 of this course. Excellent course from a very experienced attorney and professor.
AF
Excellent pace, amount of information and expectations of someone new to constitutional law!
SF
Chermerinsky's classes were the best that I have taken. Very interactive and the fellow students really participated which made the class worth attending.
MM
Very Interesting course and provides a good understanding of the US constitution
RC
I found the course challenging, the paper topics inventive and the quizzes straightforward.
AB
i learned a lot about the constitution through this class and i am looking forward to taking part two.
SC
My only regret regrading this course is that the discussion about Bill of Rights is not the part of the same session. Other than that, it's been superb.
HK
This course was extremely interesting and well presented. I fully intend to take Part 2 of the course.
NM
while this is a good course, if your are a middle/high school student the assignments will be very difficult and the lectures will be hard to understand.
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I loved this course. Professor Chemerinsky did an amazing job making this course easy to understand. He provided real court examples after he explained the concept of the law. I strongly recommend this course of you are trying to get a basic understanding of constitutional law.
The instructor has a decidedly strange view of "rights." Items he cites as "rights" are political constructs by his particular political view. There is no "right" to contraception, unless it is codified in law. IF that is the case, then it is not a right. IF a government can grant your "right" it most certainly remove that "right" should the political winds change. I was hoping to see a more balanced view, even given the political leaning of the University of California system. Fortunately, I paid nothing for this course and I got exactly what I paid for.
Professor Chemerinsky has conducted a thorough, well prepared, focused and fun review of top Constitutional issues in a top shelf fashion. He makes strong use of audio visual aids, as well as examples from real life situations and real life social and political scenarios. His analysis of Supreme Court cases are a journalist's delight. Why do I write that? I write that because that are anecdotally rich and contain sound bites that are clearly easy to remember. I highly recommend this course. Well done!!
This course was extremely interesting and well presented. I fully intend to take Part 2 of the course.
Overall, the course was interesting. However, there are a number of disadvantages that affected the course assessment. Firstly, there is no forum where you can ask fellow students to check my work. This would help to complete the course faster. Secondly, it takes a very long time to check the work, for a very long time I did not have the opportunity to check the work of other students. This prevented me from getting the certificate earlier.
Wish I could give this course a 10! Such an informative course and Dr. Chemerinsky is so passionate about his "passion". You will learn a lot about our government and what it can and cannot do. The Supreme Court cases he explains are fascinating. Supreme Court Justices have to be "uber" intelligent! The companion course (Individual Rights and Liberties) is also a fabulous course.
I absolutely loved this course as well as Individual Rights and Liberties. Very detailed and it helped me understand the structure of government much better. The information presented was truly remarkable and I made several notes. I recommend it to anyone who's interested in law school, government, politics, etc.
This is an awesome course. The lectures are extremely well organized, it is so easy to take notes and follow the information given. The instructor is awesome!!! This is just as good if not better than any Constitutional Law course you would take at university.
The profesor Chemerinsky, is one of the most brilliant stars on the constellation of the Constitutional Law.
i learned a lot about the constitution through this class and i am looking forward to taking part two.
This was a really amazing course and I can't wait to take the second one. I had to work a little harder on this class as the level of difficulty was a bit higher than I have experienced with other Coursera courses that I have taken. That being said, the challenge was enjoyed and appreciated. The actual lessons were really well explained and I came to appreciate Professor Chemerinsky's calm and reassuring voice. The content was super and I have come away from the course feeling like it was time and effort very well spent.
The course is very good. Prof. Chemerinsky is knowledgeable and experienced. What I found difficulty is trying to keep track of all the cases. But explanations were clear, and the course was made easy to understand. I do recommend it. Thank you!
Chermerinsky's classes were the best that I have taken. Very interactive and the fellow students really participated which made the class worth attending.
See my notes from part 2 of this course. Excellent course from a very experienced attorney and professor.
Excellent pace, amount of information and expectations of someone new to constitutional law!
I found the course challenging, the paper topics inventive and the quizzes straightforward.
Very Interesting course and provides a good understanding of the US constitution
There is only one Chemerinsky on Con Law, and he's Dean of Berkeley Law now!
Great course! Professor Chemerinsky is a great at teaching :)
Excellent! Simply excellent!