Announcing the Institute for Constitutional History's Summer Workshop for Junior Faculty in Stanford

[Institute for Constitutional Studies -]

*Interdisciplinary Summer Workshop for Junior Faculty*

*July 8-14, 2012
Stanford, California*



*Assessing the US Constitution: Twenty-first-Century Responses to
Eighteenth-Century Assumptions*

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*Sponsored by the Institute for Constitutional History*

*with the Stanford Constitutional Law Center*


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*Description:*

It is an obvious truth that the drafters of the 1787 Constitution had a
number of basic assumptions about the workings of what they called a
“Republican Form of Government” and that the institutions established in
Philadelphia reflected these assumptions.  To be sure, some of them, such
as equal voting power in the Senate or the basis of representation in the
House (i.e., the 3/5 rule), were the result of compromises, in which the
losers (like James Madison with regard to the Senate) viewed the result as
a “lesser evil” (to the greater evil of no Constitution at all) rather than
a positive good.  Still, almost all of the institutions were defended by
proponents of the Constitution, the most prominent, of course, being the
collective Publius.  To a remarkable degree, America in 2012 continues to
be governed through the structures established in 1787.



The purpose of the seminar is quite simple:  To look at the justifications
offered, particularly at the Philadelphia Convention and ensuing
ratification debates (including, of course, The Federalist) and to assess
the degree to which we find them persuasive over two centuries later.  The
seminar is not about “constitutional interpretation” as that topic is
usually defined.  That is, we will not be looking at the parts of the
Constitution that have been significantly litigated and, therefore,
“interpreted,” over the years, such as the assignment of powers to Congress
in Article One, Section Eight.  Rather, we will be looking at examples of
what in my forthcoming book I call “the Constitution of Settlement” (in
contrast to the endlessly-litigated “Constitution of
Conversation”)—bicameralism, the particular organization of power in the
Senate, the presidential veto ,and  the process of constitutional
amendment, among others.



Readings will be taken from Professor Levinson’s book, *Framed:  America’s
51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance* (Oxford University Press,
2012); *The Federalist*; *The Founders’ Constitution*; Akhil Reed
Amar,*America’s
Constitution:  A Biography*; and John Dinan, *The American State
Constitutional Tradition*.



*Workshop Leader*

*Sanford Levinson *is the W. St. John Garwood Jr. Centennial Chair in Law,
University of Texas Law School, and Professor of Government, University of
Texas at Austin.  Among other books, he has written: *Constitutional
Faith*(Princeton
U. Press, 1988, 2nd ed. 2011), and *Our Undemocratic Constitution:  Where
the Constitution Goes Wrong* *(and How We the People Can Correct It)* (Oxford
U. Press, 2006, pb. ed. 2008).  He is also the co-editor of a widely used
casebook, *Processes of Constitutional Decision Making* (5th ed. 2006).  He
has written over 350 articles in law reviews as well as more general
venues.  He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in
2001.



*Stipends and Support*:  Participants will receive accommodation at the
Munger Graduate Residence on the campus of Stanford Law School and a modest
stipend for meals.  Participants will also receive a travel reimbursement
up to $250.  Workshop participants are expected to attend all sessions and
engage in all program activities.

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*Eligibility and Application Procedure*: The summer workshop is designed
for university instructors who now teach or plan to teach courses in
constitutional studies, including constitutional history, constitutional
law, and related subjects.  Instructors who would like to devote a unit of
a survey course to constitutional history are also welcome to apply.  All
university-level instructors are encouraged to apply, including adjuncts
and part-time faculty members, and post-doctoral fellows from any academic
discipline associated with constitutional studies (history, political
science, law, anthropology, sociology, literary criticism, etc.).



To apply, please submit the following materials: a detailed résumé or
curriculum vitae with contact information; syllabi from any undergraduate
course(s) in constitutional studies you currently teach; a 500- word
statement describing your interest in both constitutional studies and this
workshop; and a letter of recommendation from your department chair or
other professional reference (sent separately by e-mail or post). The
application statement should address your professional background, any
special perspectives or experiences you might bring to the workshop, and
how the workshop will enhance your teaching in constitutional studies.



*The deadline for applications is May 1, 2012.*  Applications should be
sent via electronic mail to MMarcus at nyhistory.org. Successful applicants
will be notified soon thereafter.

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*For Further Information Please Contact:*

Maeva Marcus

Director, Institute for Constitutional History

New-York Historical Society and

The George Washington University Law School

(202) 994-6562

MMarcus at nyhistory.org

www.nyhistory.org/ich



*About ICH:*

The Institute for Constitutional History (ICH) is the nation’s premier
institute dedicated to ensuring that future generations of Americans
understand the substance and historical development of the U.S.
Constitution. Located at the New York Historical Society and the George
Washington University Law School, the Institute is co-sponsored by the
American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians,
and the American Political Science Association. The Association of American
Law Schools is a cooperating entity. ICH prepares junior scholars and
college instructors to convey to their readers and students the important
role the Constitution has played in shaping American society. ICH also
provides a national forum for the preparation and dissemination of
humanistic, interdisciplinary scholarship on American constitutional
history.





The Graduate Institute for Constitutional History is supported, in part, by
a

“We the People” challenge grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities
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