Class dates: Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20, Dec 4 (5 weeks)

Class time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Assumption, Kennedy 119

This course will examine the expansion of the power of the executive branch since Donald Trump took office in January, and the efficacy of the system of checks and balances envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. The course will first examine the Trump agenda from a political science perspective, noting parallels between the actions of the Trump administration and the erosion of democracy in other countries. The course will also provide a primer on presidential power under Article II of the Constitution, before turning to the Trump agenda in 2025, its precursors, and the legal theories underlying this agenda. The last classes will evaluate the role of the federal courts in placing limits on excessive executive power and consider the nature and implications of a constitutional crisis.

Instructor: Jack Ross holds degrees from Yale University (A.B. in history), the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.), and New York University School of Law (LL.M.). He practiced law in Washington, D.C. for twenty years and served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Jack has taught numerous courses in the WISE program focusing on constitutional law and facilitates the WISE Supreme Court Special Interest Group.