This course will be offered during the Fall 2007 semester. The course is open to all majors. Prerequisites: POLS 114 - American Government and Politics. Please email Professor Comparato if you have any questions.
In this course we will examine the interrelationship between the branches of the national government as well as the nature of the federal-state relationship with particular emphasis on the use of the commerce power by the national government. The concepts we will discuss are quite fluid, and we will focus on the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the Constitution in these areas and what impact the Court has had in these areas. The Court has played in active role in defining the powers of each branch of government, outlining where those powers overlap with other branches and, placing limits on the use of those powers. The Court has also been at the forefront in defining the proper operation and functions of a federal system, placing limits on the power of the individual states to encroach on the operation of the federal government, as well as limiting the federal government from taking on functions traditionally performed by states.
I expect that when you have completed this course you will have a strong understanding of the basic principles that define the powers of the three branches of government and their relationship with each other. You should also better understand the complex, and evolving relationship between the federal government and the states.
The Fall 2007 syllabus for this course is currently available.
This course will be maintained using Blackboard. The syllabus, course calendar, assignments, message and discussion boards, mail system, grades, and student homepages are available on the course page. For students enrolled in this course, detailed instructions to assist you in creating a Blackboard account can be found here. I am willing to provide information on course content to those outside of Southern Illinois University that express interest. Please email me for more information.
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URL: http://www.siu.edu/scompara/pols433a.html
Last Updated: August 17th, 2007