3501 - The Rule of Law: Executive Power and American Democracy (Paul Zwier)
Course Description
Instructor: Paul Zwier
What is the Rule of Law, and how has it shaped — and been tested by — U.S. presidents from the Founding to today? This 7-week course explores the constitutional principles that limit executive power and protect individual rights, tracing their origins to English common law and the Magna Carta. Through key historical moments — from John Marshall and Marbury v. Madison to Andrew Jackson, Lincoln, FDR, Nixon, and modern challenges — we’ll examine how the courts have interpreted and enforced constitutional limits. Class discussions will explore how judicial independence, checks and balances, due process, and equal protection evolve in times of crisis, war, and political division. We’ll also reflect on today’s debates about presidential immunity, executive orders, and the future of democracy. Participants will engage in thought exercises on how a constitution can safeguard liberty against authoritarian drift while adapting to modern threats.
Bio: Paul J. Zwier is a lawyer, author, and academic. He is a former Professor of Law, Director of the Advocacy Skills Program, and Director of the Program for International Advocacy and Dispute Resolution at Emory University,[1] and has been serving as an Of Counsel at Guttman, Buschner & Brooks (GBB).[2] He serves on the Steering Committee of Georgia Lawyers for the Rule of Law.