Constitutional Law
by Doug Linder (2023)
This site explores some of the great issues and controversies that surround our Nation's founding document.
Begin your journey by reading the document this site is all about, The Constitution of the United States.
For documents and information relating to the history of the Constitution, jump directly to History. Or see Images.
To learn
about the Supreme Court (including its history and
current cases) and the justices who have served
on it, jump to Supreme
Court. There's even
a Supreme Court Humor
Page.
To see how
justices have divided on recent landmark cases, go to
Landmark Cases.
To test your knowledge of trivia relating to the Constitution, jump to Constitutional Trivia or Bill of Rights Golf.
If you're
looking to get hitched up, jump to:
Who Wants to Marry a Founding
Father?
What's new?
Link to SCOTUSblog
(Timely essays on what the Supreme Court is up to)
Cases, Notes & Materials:
Introduction to the Study
of Constitutional Law
How the Supreme
Court Functions
Constitutional
Convention of 1787
*First Amendment materials are listed separately below
The
Bill of Rights: Introduction
Jury Size and
Unanimity Under the Sixth Amendment
The Eighth
Amendment:
Cruel and Unusual
Punishments
Due
Process Rights of Students
Does
Government Have a Constitutional Duty to Protect
Lives?
Equal Protection of the Laws
Levels of Scrutiny Under the Equal Protection Clause
Separate but
Equal Education: The Road to Brown v Board
Case
Study:
Brown v Board of Educ. Trial
Proving
Unconstitutional Discrimination
The
Thirteenth Amendment & the Abolition of
Slavery
Winning the Vote for Women: The 19th Amendment
The Intermediate
Scrutiny Test for Sex Classifications/ Equal
Rights Amendment
Gender
Discrimination in the Schools and Armed Forces
Equal Protection
Rights of Non-Citizens
Should
the Rational Basis Test Have Bite?
Equal
Protection and "Fundamental Rights" Analysis
Equal
Protection and the Right to Vote
Equal
Protection, Poverty, and Inequality of Wealth
Right of New Residents to State Benefits
Racial Discrimination & the State Action Requirement
Powers of the Federal Government &
Restrictions on State Power
The Question
of States' Rights: The Constitution and
Federalism
Introduction
to the Powers of Congress:
the Necessary and Proper Clause
The
Federal Power to Regulate Commerce
The
Property Power/ Miscellaneous Powers
Powers
of Congress Under the 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments
Presidential
Powers: Introduction
Limitations
on the Power of States to Regulate Commerce
State
Power to Regulate Alcohol (the 21st Amendment)
Interstate Taxation and the Commerce Clause
Constitutional
Limitations
on the Judicial Power
State Discrimination Against Non-Residents
Term Limits & State Regulation of Federal Elections
The Role of
States in the Federal System: the 10th Amendment
The 11th Amendment & Sovereign Immunity
The Supremacy Clause and Federal Preemption
Article V:
Amending the Constitution
Inauguration of the President
First Amendment Materials
Introduction
to the Free Speech Clause
Prior Restraints on Publication
Clear
& Present Danger Test for Subversive
Advocacy
Substantial
Overbreadth & Vagueness Doctrines
Access to
(and Protection of) Sources
The First Amendment and Incitement of Unlawful Conduct
First Amendment
Limitations on Civil Liability
Does the First
Amendment Protect Lies?
Levels of First Amendment Protection for Different Media
Four-Letter
Words and Other Forms of Indecent Speech
Permits and
Fees for Marches, Parades, Rallies
Speech Restrictions in the Traditional Public Forum
Time, Place, and Manner Regulations
Speech Restrictions in the Designated Public Forum
Speech Restrictions in the Non-Public Forum
Flag Burning and Other Attacks on American Symbols
Speech Compelled by the Government
Speech-Related Conditions Attached to Gov't Spending
Free Speech Rights of Public Employees
Regulation of Commercial Speech
Adult-Oriented
Businesses
and the "Secondary Effects" Test
Free
Speech and the State Action Requirement
Religion
and the Constitution: A History
Introduction to
the Establishment Clause
Financial Aid to Religious Schools
Evaluating Religiously-Based or Religiously-Motivated Laws: Looking for Secular Purposes
Religious Symbols in Public Places
Student-Initiated Religious Speech
The Free
Exercise Clause: Rise of the Compelling State
Interest Test
