The Constitution of 1789 and today: how much has changed and how much has stayed the same? Come explore this with us!

The Constitution received the necessary number of state ratifications to replace the Articles of Confederation on June 21, 1788, and went into effect on March 4, 1789.   It has since been changed by 27 amendments—as well as more than two hundred years of constitutional interpretation.

Looking at four key areas — the power of the president; the scope of federal lawmaking authority; the nature and role of the electorate; and the rights of free speech — this course will explore the foundational commitments of the Constitution as it was initially adopted and chart the changes through amendment and judicial interpretation that have ensued. How much has changed? How much has stayed the same?

What to expect: 

You’ll gain insights into the scope of the changes and how changes are actually carried out.  How have the federal courts used judicial review to interpret the Constitution? Has the purposeful vagueness of the Constitution allowed enough room for interpretation as our society evolves?  

Feedback from Joseph’s last course:

“Dr. Prud’homme totally engaged everyone in our classroom today. He is an amazing historian and resource. Please invite him back!”

“He was very knowledgeable, knew his material well, and presented in an engaging way. I have requested more books on the Constitutional Convention and James Madison. I want to know more. He really piqued my interest.”

“Wow.  What a whirlwind of stories behind how we ended up with a guiding document called the Constitution!  We need the professor back!”

Tuesday | October 20 | 1:30 – 3pm | HYBRID (choose to attend in person, via Zoom or wait for a recording) | $30