The New-York Historical Society’s Bonnie and Richard Reiss Graduate Institute for Constitutional History Seminar, which is not to be confused with the Institute for Constitutional Studies, directed by Mavea Marcus at GW Law, has announced its Spring 2024 seminar for advanced graduate students and junior faculty. DRE]
The Presidency and the Constitution: Historical Case Studies and Contemporary Questions
Presented in person at the New-York Historical Society and via Zoom.* Fridays, May 3, 10, 31 and June 14, 2024 | 2–5 pm ET. The Instructors are Corey Brettschneider and Kate Shaw. Apply by March 29, 2024:
Scholars have renewed their focus on threats to democracy and, specifically, the ways the American presidency holds the potential to undo many of the legal norms fundamental to self-government. In this series of seminars, Corey Brettschneider and Kate Shaw lead an inquiry into four past case studies—including the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Tenure of Office Act and Andrew Johnson’s presidency, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s interactions with the Federal Communications Commission and use of radio to directly message the American people, and the constitutional vulnerabilities to a criminally-minded president through the lens of the Richard Nixon presidency—with an aim towards thinking about the systemic vulnerability of the American Constitution generally, and the executive branch specifically, to democratic decay and collapse.
*Although we encourage students to attend the class in person,
livestream participation will be offered to admitted students who do not
live in the New York metropolitan area or who are unable to attend a
class in person. If you are interested in attending some or all of the
class sessions virtually, please indicate this in your application
statement.
More information here.
[Of course I'm intrigued by the reference to FDR and the FCC. DRE.]
