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College Seminar (101-7-20)

Topic

The Rule of Law Around the World

Instructors

Karen Alter
847/491-4842
Scott Hall #318

Meeting Info

Scott Hall 107 Burdick Room: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This seminar will investigate different ideas about what the rule of law is, and different realities of how the rule of law operates. It is a comparative legal systems seminar, with an international dimension. Given the broad sense that the rule of law is a critical element of good governance, international actors have become rule of law promotors. Is the rule of law something that outsiders can help to create or improve? Can one create a rule of law if governments or powerful actors refuse to subordinate themselves to the rule of law? How do those actors committed to the rule of law try to balance the aspiration of a rule of law and the political reality that governments and powerful actors have a variety of ways to resist? Participants will be divided into five country groups: South Africa, India, Colombia, China and the United States. All of these countries have constitutions and supreme courts, and all face rule of law challenges. The comparison will allow us to consider the variety of challenges that exist, and the country perspective will help us to consider what, if anything, outside actors can do to support the rule of law.

Learning Objectives

  1. College seminar objectives: To learn tricks of the trade: how to read and study efficiently and effectively, how and when to collaborate; how, when and where to seek help. What is your goal? Students will work on defining a set of personal goals for their 4 year college experience.

  2. What can we reasonably expect from the ROL, or any political system? We will learn how the ROL is used both as tool of governance, and as protection against governments. We will also learn how every ROL system falls short of the ideal, why efforts to export the ROL often fail, and how ROL systems stay resilient or become fragile.

  3. Beginning research and public speaking: Seminar participants will focus in greater depth on one of 5 ROL systems, learning about their country's challenges through a collaboration, through an individual research project, and through presentations to the seminar.

Teaching Method

seminar

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: REASON: Pre-registration is not allowed for this class. Please try again during regular registration. Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required