Course Description

Instructor: Steven Harbour

Starts: Thursday,  October 7,  8 weeks

Time: 11:15AM-12:15PM     

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides, in part, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This course will review the recent U.S. Supreme Court cases interpreting that clause. The cases can be divided into three broad questions: 1) When does government action, including financial support such as school vouchers, constitute an unconstitutional “establishment” of religion? 2) When may or must the government exclude religious institutions or individuals from otherwise applicable government programs? 3) When must government exempt “persons” from certain laws for religious reasons?