PIR-30158 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Civil Rights are historically some of the most important issues in American politics and those controversies continue to be passionately contested. Issues of race and equality can be seen in some of the most prominent political movements in recent years. The #metoo movement, the @blacklivesmatter movement, and other prominent groups have campaigned for changes in how the values of equality are protected in the United States. Issues of racial equality, criminal justice reform, women¿s rights, LGBT+ rights, abortion, and voting rights have all been very high on the political agenda in recent years. The Supreme Court is the main battleground on which many of these controversies are fought. This module examines the role of the Supreme Court in American politics and evaluates the current state of rights through its rulings and impact.

This module analyses how the Supreme Court makes decisions. It evaluates the state of constitutional rights and impact of the courts rulings in key areas such as free speech, racial equality, women's rights, religion, abortion, the right to bear arms, and voting rights.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe how the Supreme Court makes decisions on issues of constitutional rights and evaluate how these approaches have been applied to specific cases: 1,2
Describe important legal cases that establish particular rights and analyse why the Court decided each case as well as its wider impact: 1,2
Critically analyse the role of the Supreme Court in the American political system through its rulings on important issues around rights and equality: 1,2
Apply the precedents of important Supreme Court rulings to hypothetical cases or issues with reference to previous case history: 1,2

Study hours

Seminars: 22 hours
Seminar preparation: 56 Hours
Preparation for Case Study: 36 Hours
Preparation for Case Review: 36 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment