It's Your Education, Make an Informed Choice.

This course will examine the rule of law and how it plays a major role in the American legal system. The rule of law raises many issues including the government’s legitimacy and what makes a law legal. Most Americans view the government as a legitimate system that is run in a just and fair manner. It is only when the system is abused by individuals that the American people began to question its legitimacy. The American legal system relies heavily on due process and liberty and ultimately has the people’s best interests at heart. It incorporates the philosophies of such historically significant men as Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes and John Austin and allows sovereignty to run its course with limited but great power.

Course Objectives

• By the end of this course, students will appreciate why the division of power in the American government provides a better way of serving the public and its interests by downsizing opportunities for corruption.
• Participants will have a brief introduction to the concept of rule of law to see why it plays a critical role in American society and learn about the strands of John Hobbes’ philosophies.
• Students will examine how John Austin’s philosophical perspective improves upon Hobbes’ theories and discover how Kant’s concept of the "crooked timber of humanity" influenced the design of the American government.
• Students will be familiar with legal terms such as: rule of law, due process, sovereign and liberty.