Below are descriptions and links for more information for Professor Shortell's courses.

An examination of the design and development of American political institutions, with an emphasis on understanding how American politics operates today. Material covered includes the framing of the Constitution, federalism, civil rights, civil liberties, Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the judiciary.

Winter 2010 Syllabus

Text- The Logic of American Politics, 4th Edition (Samuel Kernell, Gary Jacobson, and Thad Kousser)

This course surveys the role of the public and non-governmental institutions in American politics.  Among the topics we will discuss are individual political attitudes and values, political participation, voting, parties, interest groups, and domestic and foreign policy making.

Spring 2010 Syllabus

This course provides an introduction to the study of law and courts. The class will focus on understanding how courts function, particularly at the trial court level, with an emphasis on recognizing the relationship between law and politics.

Fall 2010 Syllabus coming soon

In this class, we will be studying the power of the courts, Congress, and the President, as interpreted by the Supreme Court. We will look at issues ranging from whether courts should get involved in political disputes between the other branches to whether Congress can regulate medicinal marijuana to how far the President can go in fighting terrorism. In each area, we will trace the development of legal doctrines both historically and theoretically, with an emphasis on applying them to today’s world. The goal of the course is to better understand and evaluate the law and political theory at the heart of our political institutions. Special emphasis will be placed on your ability to read legal opinions critically, understand the decision-making process of courts, and effectively communicate your ideas orally and in writing.

Fall 2010 Syllabus coming soon

Text- Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints, 7th edition (Lee Epstein and Thomas Walker)

This class is an exploration of law from the bottom-up. Law is most often studied from the top down, with an undue emphasis on the United States Supreme Court and its decisions. Those decisions, however, have only a passing influence on the ways in which we interact with law each and every day. How does law actually operate? In what ways does law affect our lives? Why do we even have law? This course attempts to shine light on those areas of the law which most directly impact society.

The first half of the class is structured around a series of questions, each intended to guide our studies. For example, we will begin with “what is law?” and move on to “why do disputes happen?” and “is access to the law equal?.” The second half will focus more directly on the relationship between law and violence. We don’t often put those two terms together (unless it is to suggest that law prevents violence). Law itself can be violent, though. It often operates as a way to channel and control violence, as in the criminal system. We will look at policing, prosecution, trials, and sentencing from this perspective, concluding with an in-depth look at the way the law handles the ultimate violence- the death penalty. In each section, our goal will be to develop a richer understanding of how law works, how it informs the society we live in, and how politics operates in law at even the lowest levels.

Fall 2009 Syllabus

Grad student syllabus

Text- The Social Organization of Law (Austin Sarat)

In this class, we will look at issues ranging from segregation in railcars to legal protections for gays and lesbians to affirmative action in higher education.  We will consider the limits of federal power in punishing gun possession in schools and the ability of states to regulate working conditions.  In each area, we will trace the development of legal doctrines both historically and theoretically, with an emphasis on applying them to today’s world.  The goal of the course is to better understand and evaluate the law and political theory at the heart of our constitutional law.

Winter 2010 Syllabus

Syllabus for 522 (graduate students)

Texts- Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints, 7th Edition (Lee Epstein and Thomas Walker)

Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Rights, Liberties, and Justice, 7th Edition (Lee Epstein and Thomas Walker)

In this class, we will consider the limits of speech, from burning a draft card to child pornography to cross burning.  We will look at the circumstances under which police can conduct searches, what factors are acceptable to consider in jury selection, and the circumstances in which the state can execute.  In each area, we will trace the development of legal doctrines both historically and theoretically, with an emphasis on applying them to today’s world.  The goal of the course is to better understand and evaluate the law and political theory at the heart of our civil liberties.

Syllabus