Yale University
America's Unwritten Constitution

Give your career the gift of Coursera Plus with $160 off, billed annually. Save today.

Yale University

America's Unwritten Constitution

Akhil Reed Amar

Instructor: Akhil Reed Amar

26,523 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8

(269 reviews)

16 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8

(269 reviews)

16 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

3 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 15 modules in this course

Hello everyone and welcome to America’s Unwritten Constitution! This course is designed to teach you some of the basic tool and techniques for constitutional interpretation. Over the next 13 modules, Professor Akhil Amar will teach you how to go beyond the text of the U.S. Constitution, while still remaining faithful to it. Please, take some time to watch the two introductory videos and read through some of the course information below. Enjoy!

What's included

2 videos7 readings

Heeding the Deed, refers to the technique of understanding the Constitution further by looking at issues the nation was dealing with at the time of the passage's adoption. Another way to say this could be; putting yourself in the framer's shoes.

What's included

2 videos

This module teaches the interpretive technique of reading between the lines. This involves extracting, from the text, things that are implicit, but not expressly stated.

What's included

2 videos

In this module, we explore a number of unenumerated rights that exist simply because Americans embody these rights in their everyday lives. Owning pets, using contraception, testifying at one’s own trial, none of these are explicitly mentioned in the text of the Constitution, yet today, they are recognized as protected fundamental rights. Professor Amar explains why.

What's included

2 videos

The "Confronting Modern Case Law" lectures take a closer look at the Warren-lead Supreme Court. Spanning from 1953 to 1969, his court decided many of the most influential cases is U.S. history. Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Griswold v. Connecticut to name a few. Professor Amar, will discuss how the court arrived at their decisions, how these rulings changed American society at the time and how they are still affecting it today.

What's included

2 videos1 assignment

Professor Amar discusses the role that precedent—that is, prior court decisions—plays in our understanding of the document. He will answer questions about how far courts should go when interpreting the Constitution, and what courts might do when they believe that a prior decision was incorrect.

What's included

2 videos

Here we'll examine documents outside of the Constitution that influence our understanding of the founding text—things like the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist papers, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. Professor Amar will explain how these sources have offered meaning and guidance in constitutional interpretation.

What's included

2 videos1 peer review

These lectures explore the profound changes American society underwent immediately following the ratification of the 19th amendment. The reverberations of women's enfranchisement are still being strongly felt today. Prof. Amar will highlight some legislation, he believes, directly or indirectly owe their existence to the 19th amendment.

What's included

2 videos

Undoubtedly, the figure who looms largest in U.S. political history is George Washington. His actions before, during, and after the Presidency set precedents for the executive office which are still observed today. Prof. Amar will explain why Article II of the Constitution was custom written for our first president.

What's included

2 videos1 assignment

This module delves into how the actual structure of each government branch inherently effects their interactions with one another. The framers purposefully under-specified sections of the Constitution, leaving room for flexibility. They rightly assumed future law makers would fill these “gaps” in procedure as need arose. Indeed they have, each time a gap is discovered and bridged, a new precedent is set. Professor Amar will highlight several examples of these powers-set-by-precendent, for each branch of government

What's included

2 videos

In this module, Prof. Amar chronicles the adoption and evolution of the two party system in America. You'll learn which framers founded each party and how the creation of the parties caused great friction in government. The lectures go on to explain how the Constitution changed to accommodate the two party system and how these changes have made to the two party system inextricably codified into the Document.

What's included

2 videos1 peer review

This module discusses the role of conscience in government. It is important for us to remember, the Constitution did not implement itself. It was implemented by human beings with minds, hearts, and consciences. Understanding the interaction between these “human elements” and the text is fundamental to proper interpretation of the Constitution. We’ll go over several codified manifestations of the "human element" in the Constitution, such as the veto and juror nullification.

What's included

2 videos

In the course’s final lectures, we’ll look to the future and ask, "what will the constitution look like in 25 years? 50 years? 100?" Might we soon see an amendment allowing for a foreign born president? Or the dissolution of the Electoral College? Prof. Amar will discuss the idea of "constitutional trajectory," and the factors which affect it. We’ll go over how today’s legislators can be looked at as "framers of the future.” Which will lead to the very interesting topic of “sunrise legislation."

What's included

2 videos1 assignment

This content is not tied to the assessment materials in any way but it is interesting, entertaining, and informative nonetheless. We encourage all learners to take some time to watch these videos and post about them in the discussion forums!

What's included

5 videos

Prof. Amar recapitulate concepts learned in this course and discuss his hopes for you all; the matriculants of America’s Unwritten Constitution. We sincerely hope you all have enjoyed the course and learned something along the way! Thank you so much for your time and effort.

What's included

1 video

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.9 (36 ratings)
Akhil Reed Amar
Yale University
2 Courses45,483 learners

Offered by

Yale University

Recommended if you're interested in Law

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

Showing 3 of 269

4.8

269 reviews

  • 5 stars

    88.51%

  • 4 stars

    6.66%

  • 3 stars

    2.59%

  • 2 stars

    1.48%

  • 1 star

    0.74%

WL
5

Reviewed on Sep 18, 2017

JW
5

Reviewed on Mar 2, 2021

TG
5

Reviewed on Sep 20, 2017

Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions