Constitutionalism
American
Constitutionalism
Jiří Baroš
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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American Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ History
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§ Constitutional Interpretation

American Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ History
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§ Constitutional Interpretation

History
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ Origins
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§
§ Development

History
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ Origins
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§
§ Development

Origins
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§ Federalist 78
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§ Marbury v. Madison

Federalist 78
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§ The Constitution and Ordinary Law
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§ Will of the People v. Constitutionally Delegated Authority
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§ Where to Place Final Authority to Interpret the Constitution (President? Parliament? Court?)

Federalist 78
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§ The Least Dangerous Branch („Lacking Both Purse and Sword“)
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§ Against Majority, and Public Opinion
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§ What If The Court Abuses Power?

Marbury v. Madison
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ Republicans v. Federalists
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§ Adams signed Marbury´s commission, but it was not delivered. Jefferson refused to deliver it.
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§ Marbury asked the Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus.

Marbury v. Madison
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§ Marbury had a legal right to the commission…
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§ Marbury had a legal remedy to it…
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§ The power to issue the writ of mandamus: statute and Constitution

Marbury v. Madison
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§ „in all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a
State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases
before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction.“
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§ The Statute Was Unconstitutional…

History
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§ Origins
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§ Development

Development
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Dred Scott v. Sandford:
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§ Two Lawsuits (1846, 1853)
§ Taney: „Any person descended from Africans, whether slave or free, is not a citizen of the United
States.“
§ Missouri compromise ("Once free, always free.") voided.

Development
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Lochner Era:
§ using its interpretation of substantive due process to strike down laws held to be infringing on
economic liberty or private contract rights.
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§ legislative proposal to enlarge the Court (Roosevelt)

Development
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§Warren court: banned the segregation of public schools, expanded civil rights, judicial power, and
the federal power

§ Burger court: continued the liberal legacy

Development
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§ Rehnquist Court: more conservative (swing vote: Sandra O´Connor)
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§ Roberts court: still more conservative (swing vote Anthony Kennedy), but Obergefell v. Hodge (a
right of same-sex couples to marry)

American Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ History
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§ Constitutional Interpretation

Constitutional Interpretation
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ Dworkin v. Rehnquist
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§ Approaches

Constitutional Interpretation
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ Dworkin v. Rehnquist
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§ Approaches

Dworkin v. Rehnquist
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§ Rehnquist
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§ Dworkin

Dworkin v. Rehnquist
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§ Rehnquist
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§ Dworkin

Rehnquist
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§ Should the Constitution Be Responsive to Changing Social Conditions?
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§ Its Application Should be Coextensive with the Language
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§ Intention of the Constitution´s Framers
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§ Constitution Becomes Increasingly Irrelevant

Dworkin v. Rehnquist
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§ Rehnquist
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§ Dworkin

Dworkin
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§ changes of interpretation of Constitution´s text
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§ distinction between concept and conceptions
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§ fusion of constitutional law and philosophy
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§ the possibility of moral truth

Constitutional Interpretation
Constitutionalism (POL 574)
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§ Dworkin v. Rehnquist
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§ Approaches

Approaches
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§ Textualism – Consensualism
§ Abstract Originalism (Philosophical Approach) - Intentionalism and Originalism

§ Structuralism – Doctrinalism – Pragmatism

Sources
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§ Ackerman, B., We the People
§ Barber, S., Fleming, J., Constitutional Intepretation
§ Bickel, A., The Least Dangerous Branch
§ Breyer, S., Making Our Democracy Work
§ Chemerinsky, E., Constitutional Law
§ Dworkin, R., Taking Rights Seriously
§ Scalia, A., A Matter of Interpretation