You are here: Constitutional Law & National Security

Background

These days it seems that one cannot pick up a newspaper or turn on the news without hearing about homeland security. In the past few years it has become a topic discussed the world over. Is this really a "war" the way our founding fathers imagined it? Are we willing to give up rights and freedoms that our country is built upon in order to feel safe? These and many other burning questions are certainly relevant to every person lucky enough to call himself or herself a U.S. citizen.

Homeland Security was born right alongside our country. This module is designed to help you explore its constitutional basis as well as what it says about the role of the three branches of government. The built-in tension between the President and Congress has been more apparent in recent years, as evidenced by the struggles over the War Powers Resolution and even more recently, the USA PATRIOT Act. Using this module as a guide, you and your students will examine the impact of homeland security on civil liberties and changes in our approach to criminal justice.