Foundations of American Constitutional Law

📋 Course Outline

1. Founding texts and Bill of Rights
2. Separation of powers and federalism
3. Presidential powers and impeachment
4. Federal judiciary and treason
5. State rights and territorial powers
6. Slavery and the Thirteenth Amendment
7. Citizenship and equal protection
8. Reconstruction and civil rights
9. Federal administration and DEI policy

📖 1. Founding texts and Bill of Rights

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Declaration of Independence : A founding American document adopted in the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 to justify separation from Great Britain.
• United States Constitution : The founding framework of the United States that sets out legislative, executive, judicial, and federal provisions, plus rules for amendment and supremacy.
• Bill of Rights : A set of constitutional amendments added after the Constitution to prevent misconstruction or abuse of governmental powers.
• Preamble to the Bill of Rights : The formal opening of the Bill of Rights that records Congress’s beginning date and the goal of adding restrictive clauses to the Constitution.

📝 Essential Points