"By the protection of law human rights are secured. Without that protection and they are at the mercy of wicked rulers, or the clamor of an excited people."
Ex parte Milligan

 

Course description and requirements

The specific goals of this course are for students to:

  • Understand the place and importance of civil liberties in a democratic society.
  • Learn what happened in past wars in order to appreciate the context of present events.
  • Analyze actions taken by the current administration’s war on terrorism that affect civil liberties.
  • Evaluate the impact of these actions on law and society.

We will spend approximately half the semester learning about the historical precedents and half the semester analyzing the current situation. This is very much of an interdisciplinary course. I expect that you will draw on material and concepts that you have studied in other courses in Legal Studies, History, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, etc.

REQUIRED BOOKS

Available at Food For Thougt Books, 106 North Pleasant Street, Amherst
 Mark Sidel, More Secure Less Free?: Antiterrorism Policy & Civil Liberties after September 11 (Revised edition, U. of Michigan Press, 2007)
Bruce Ackerman, Before the Next Attack: Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism (Yale University Press 2006)

Available at Collective Copies, 71 South Pleasant Street, Amherst
Course packet

For the honors section ONLY:

60% Three in-class tests on Sept. 24 (15%), Oct. 15 (15%), and Nov. 26 (30%)
12% Four 2-3 page short essays (3% each) due Sept. 10, Sept. 24, Oct. 15, and Nov. 26
20% Final essay
08% Class participation

In-class tests . These will test your factual knowledge of the material we cover in class. They will consist of short answer questions and short essays.

Short essays. These assignments give you an opportunity to reflect on the policy questions raised by the material and discussed in class. They should be 2-3 pages long.

Final essay. At the end of the semester, we will read a book togethr that proposes adoption of an "emergency constitution" to meet the threat of terrorism. The final essay will evaluate the author's thesis and argument in the context of the current war on terror as well as past wartime situations.

Class participation. Because each of you has a unique background and perspective to contribute to our understanding of this material, I rely on your active participation in class. This requires that you complete all assigned reading for class and come to class prepared to discuss the material. It also requires that you attend all classes.

PLAGIARISM. Using information or taking language from any source without attribution is plagiarism. Having someone else write a paper or portion of a paper for you is cheating. These and all other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this or any other course and will be dealt with harshly. Do not do anything that has even the appearance of cheating. If you have any questions whatsoever about plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please come talk to me.