Constitutional Studies
Use this guide to find: research guides supporting Constitution Day events, Legal Studies Guides, and general information about the Constitution.
Photo from:
The White House
Constitution Day is celebrated on September 17th each year. That is the day the Constitution was signed during the Constitutional Convention. More information and events can be found on the Consitution Day website of the National Constitution Center. The following guides were created in support of Constitution Day events at Ithaca College:
Other Legal Studies and Politics Guides:
- Mighty Times: The First Amendment & Civic Action (9/19/17, Guest Speaker: Mary Beth Tinker of the free speech in schools case Tinker v. Des Moines School District, 393 US 503, 1969).
- Rights of the Accused: Fact or Fiction? An In depth look at Constitutional Protections of Criminal Defendants (9/14/16, Guest Speakers: Tom Kertscher, reporter from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who coverd the Steven Avery trial in the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer; Brad Rudin, J.D., Assistant DA for Tompkins County; Joe Joch, J.D., trial lawyer).
- The Carceral State: Race, Citizenship and American Life in the 21st Century (9/17/15, Guest Speakers: Maria Gottschalk and Adolph Reed, Jr.; moderated by Carlos Figueroa)
- Targeted Killings, the Constitution, and You: U.S. Drone Policy and Citizens' Rights (9/17/14, Guest Speaker: Jens David Ohlin; moderated by Carlos Figueroa)
- Reproductive Justice: Celebrating and defending Roe at 40 (9/24/2013, Guest Speaker: Zillah Eisenstein and her daughter, Dr. Stumbar).
- Wikileaks, Bradley Manning and the First Amendment (9/27/2012, Guest Speaker: Shayana Kadidal) see also: The Constitution: The First Amendment
- Citizens United: Corporate Speech, Political Ads and the Law Guide done in collaboration with Maura Stephens, Associate Director, Park Center for Independent Media (9/27/2011, Guest Speaker: John Nichols)
- Immigration: Constitutional Issues created for: Crossing the Boarder: Where does the Constitution Stand (9/27/2010, Panelists: Luis Argueta, Shaianne Osterreich, Mary Jo Dudley). The event included an excerpt form Luis Argueta's documentary, abUSed: The Potsville Raid
- Gay Marriage: Legal and Constitutional Issues created for: Approaching the Constitutional Threshold: Ending the Heterosexual Marriage Monopoly? (9/23/2009, Panelists: Mariette Geldenhuys, L. Richard Stumbar, and Sybil Conrad).
- Struggles for Racial Justice. (9/17/2008: Speakers: Martin Brownstein, Shelley Keeling, Beth Harris, and Bryna Fireside). This event honored the works of Professor Emeritus Harvey Fireside who taught in the Department of Poltics. It included with a screening of The Jena 6.
Other Legal Studies and Politics Guides:
- Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis, and Interpretation
The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation contains legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution, based primarily on Supreme Court case law. This regularly updated resource is especially useful when researching the constitutional implications of a specific issue or topic. The Featured Topics and Cases page highlights recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that demonstrate pivotal interpretations of the Constitution's provisions. On Constitution Day 2013 the Government Printing Office released an iPhone or iPad app for it. - FDsys (GPO's Federal Digital System)
The Government Printing Office's (GPO) Federal Digital System (FDsys) provides public access to government information submitted by Congress and Federal agencies. Search or browse for documents and publications. Use the Advance Search form to search by date or specific publication title (Congressional Record, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, Bills, Hearings, the United States Code, etc.). Fulltext primary source documents are available in both PDF (downloadable) and XML formats. - Oyez : U.S. Supreme Court Multimedia
User friendly website that contains biographies of Supreme Court justices, case decisions, and some audio transcripts of select cases.
You can access high resolution images and transcripts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights through the National Archive's "Charters of Freedom" website.
The Constitution: That Delicate Balance
From Annenberg Media, this is a streaming video series on the Constitution. Produced by Columbia University Seminars on Media and Society. 1984.
From Annenberg Media, this is a streaming video series on the Constitution. Produced by Columbia University Seminars on Media and Society. 1984.
- Bill of Rights Institute
The Bill of Rights Institute provides resources for educating the public about founding documents - Center for Constitutional Rights
Organization founded in 1966 that is dedicated to protecting rights stated in the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Humaning Rights. - First Amendment Center
Clearinghouse for information concerning the five freedoms (speech, press, assembly, petition and religion) guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution - National Constitution Center
Museum in Philadelphia that educates the public about the Constitution through exhibits and events.