Prerequisite: Constitutional Law I

This seminar will offer in-depth discussion of the separation of powers, focusing especially on the allocation of power between the executive and legislative branches of government. We will first address the theoretical underpinnings of the separation-of-powers doctrine as explained by the Founders and other Enlightenment thinkers. We will then explore how the separation of powers plays out in practice, using historical and recent examples. We will examine a variety of real-world cases and disputes, focusing not only on court decisions but also on how officials and lawyers in the legislative and executive branches have handled—or should have handled—those controversies. This seminar satisfies the ULWR.