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2022-2023 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

POS 210 - National and State Constitutions

3 Credits, 3 Contact Hours
3 lecture periods 0 lab periods

Principles and procedures of national and state constitutions. Includes major principles of American and Arizona Constitutionalism, historical and legal environments of the United States and Arizona constitutions, structures, powers, and responsibilities of United States government, structures of Arizona government, civil liberties and civil rights in the United States, and constitutional change.

Information: POS 210 satisfies the requirement for teacher certification as does the combination of both POS 201  and POS 231 .
Gen-Ed: Meets AGEC - SBS; Meets CTE - SBS.


Course Learning Outcomes
  1. Identify and describe the functions of the three constitutional branches of American national government.
  2. Identify and describe elements of direct democracy in the Arizona Constitution.
Performance Objectives:
  1. Explain the principles of American constitutionalism. 
  2. Discuss the historical and legal environments that led to the creation of the United States and Arizona constitutions.
  3. Describe the structures, powers, and responsibilities of United States government.
  4. Describe the structures of Arizona government.
  5. Discuss the liberties and rights of individuals.
  6. Discuss the formal and informal means of constitutional change.
  7. Give examples of direct democracy in the Arizona Constitution not present in the United States Constitution.
Outline:
  1. Major Principles of American and Arizona Constitutionalism
    1.    Popular Sovereignty
    2.    Limited Government
    3.    Separation of Powers
    4.    Checks and balances
  2. Historical and Legal Environments of United States and Arizona Constitutions
    1.  Definition of Politics and Government
    2.  Drafting and Ratification of the United States Constitution
    3.  Creation and Adoption of the Arizona Constitution
  3. Structures, Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of United States Government
    1.  Legislature: Congress
    2.  Executive: President
    3.  Judiciary: Federal Courts
  4. Structures of Arizona Government
    1. Arizona Legislature
    2. Arizona Plural Executive
    3. Arizona Judiciary
  5. Forms of Direct Democracy in Arizona
    1. Initiative
    2. Referendum
    3. Recall
  6. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights in the United States
    1. Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties
    2. Nationalization of the Bill of Rights
    3. Fourteenth Amendment and Civil Rights
    4. What is Equal Protection of the Law?
  7. Constitutional Change
    1. The Amendment Process at the National and State Levels
      1. Amending the United States Constitution
      2. Amending the Arizona Constitution
    2. Judicial Interpretation and Review in the United States and Arizona
    3. Legislation Interpretation
    4. Executive and Administrative Interpretation