A thorough examination of the state of individual rights before the U.S. Supreme Court. The course will consider how recent cases the Court has decided and current pending cases have shaped the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. A critical component will involve peer deliberation over the proper roles of law and politics and their impacts on the current state of individual rights in the United States. Students will examine constitutional case studies throughout the semester and contribute to group and classroom discussions of issues being considered by the sitting Court. Students will also learn the foundational concepts of how the Court operates as both a legal and political institution, as well as its place in the larger political system. Special emphasis will be given to the social scientific study of the Supreme Court.