This is a hybrid event that will be offered in-person and streamed online. Recordings will be available to registered participants through the Moodle Learning Management Systeme.
Join Dr. Dan Stroup, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Professor of Politics and Law Emeritus, will examine how the Supreme Court’s shifting constitutional framework is reshaping major debates over religion, equality, and the separation of powers. We will explore whether the First Amendment permits the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools, as well as related disputes over prayer at school events and parental rights to shield children from LGBTQ+ content. The class will also consider questions of birthright citizenship, voting rights and race-conscious districting, and the future of precedents such as Obergefell v. Hodges in light of recent decisions overturning Roe v. Wade. Finally, we will turn to separation of powers, asking whether the Constitution grants unilateral tariff authority to the President and how far Congress can insulate independent agencies from presidential control. Together, these topics highlight the Supreme Court’s central role in defining the scope of constitutional rights and governmental authority in contemporary America.
Tiered Enrollment Pricing:
- Adults (including alumni): $12 per content hour
- Total package for 4 sessions =$48
- Students (ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and individuals age <19) = $6 per content hour
- Total package for 4 sessions =$24
Number of in-person participants will be capped at 30 attendees.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Dan Stroup – Dr. Stroup is a Pierce and Amelia Harrington Lively Professor of Politics and Law Emeritus. His expertise encompasses American political history, the judicial and legislative process, and the Civil Rights Movement in America. Dr. Stroup has published in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, PS: Political Science, and Valparaiso Law Review. Dr. Stroup will guide the audience through presidential constitutional powers through a four-part class series. Each class session will be informal lectures with built-in discussion.
Class Session Description
Religion in Public Schools
October 22, 2025
Does the First Amendment permit States to require the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms? The Supreme Court, in recent cases, has changed its framework for deciding religion cases. The Supreme Court is considering this issue, and would enable (require) us to discuss these cases as well. Issues that maybe discussed include but are not limited to: high school football coaches engaging in public pre- or post-game prayer; parents claiming a First Amendment right to opt their children out of classes in which LGBTQ+ books and subjects.
Birthright Citizenship
October 29, 2025
What does birthright citizenship mean? Does the Fourteenth Amendment recognize children who are born in the US, but whose parents are undocumented immigrants, as citizens? Are States required to provide education to such children in the public schools? Dr. Stroup will discuss the nuances and current events of the Fourteenth Amendment and birthright citizenship.
Is the Constitution Color-Blind?
November 5, 2025
The Voting Rights Act (1965) was signed in to law by President Lyndon Johnson and outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted by many southern states following the Civil War. Next term, The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the question of whether minority-majority electoral districts in Louisiana, required by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, are in violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Dr. Stroup will lead the class through a history of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and a discussion on today’s impact the Supreme Court may have on voting rights.
Obergefell vs. Hodges – Should the Supreme Court overturn the ruling?
November 12, 2025
Dan Stroup and participants will explore the landmark 2015 Supreme Court case that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples though Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The issue has been appealed to the Supreme Court. Eplore with Dr. Stroup if the Supreme Court laid the groundwork for such a decision in its recent opinions overturning Roe v. Wade, and which could allow States to deny puberty-delaying medication to transgender children.
Separation of Powers
November 19, 2025
Does the Constitution authorize Congress to enact laws establishing independent agencies and specify that the President may remove commissioners of such agencies only for cause? Building off Dr. Stroup’s previous Learning Collaborative course series, this session will discuss if the US Constitution or US law grant the President unilateral authority to impose tariffs, and what role the other branches of the government have to support or block these decisions.