The president's gun proposals provide some context for the second week's assignment. In 2305 we will begin looking at the concept of natural rights and take a preliminary glance at the Constitution, and in 2306 we will be looking at Texas and the state within the federal system. A good way to introduce each is to look at two recent court cases that tell us something about the nature of Second Amendment rights as they appliy to the national government on one hand, and the state and city governments on the other.
These will be the subject of the assignment.
For GOVT 2305 (also GOVT 2301) - I want you to read through the 2008 Supreme Court case DC v. Heller and detail where the Supreme Court currently stands on what the Second Amendment means and and what this tells us about how the court might rule on a challenge to any of the proposals announced by the president yesterday. DC v Heller was a landmark case where the court, for the first time, ruled that the Second Amendment contained an expansive right to bears arms, but it still contained in it an allowance for restrictions. Be able to describe them, and also describe any conflict among the justices. This will help us determine how it is that the nature of rights are defined within the American constitutional system.
- DC v. Heller - Oyez Project.
- DC v. Heller - Wikipedia.
For GOVT 2306 (also GOVT 2302) - I want you to read through the 2010 Supreme Court case McDonald v. Chicago. This case incorporated the decision in DC v. Heller to the states. I want you to look through the case and come to terms with the process of incorporation, and the role the 14th mendment has in it. This will illustrate a few points about what relationships exist between the national and state governments, espacially what relationship exists between the states and the US Bill of Rights.
- McDonald v. Chicago - Oyez Project.
- McDonald v. Chicago - Wikipedia.
