I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Society and Law

2. Course Prefix & Number:
POLS 1440

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This course introduces students to the basic concepts of the law and the legal system in American society.  Topics include the history of law, court organization, criminal law and procedure, constitutional law, administrative law, contracts and family law.  This course examines how the law reflects society’s values, why the law is closely connected to the political system and how the laws are enforced.  Specific laws are analyzed and discussed.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Alexandria Technical and Community College, POL 1450 Society and Law, 3 credits
Minnesota State University Moorhead, POL 230 Introduction to Law, 3 credits
St. Cloud State University, POL 391 Introduction to Law, 3 credits

III. Course Purpose

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Goal 9 – Ethical and Civic Responsibility

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Debate and discuss current legal and political issues in society.
Demonstrate written communication skills	Write various chapter assignments and persuasive essays on current legal and political issues in society.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Recognize the diversity of political motivations and interests of others by examining an upcoming election and the political stances of individual candidates.  MnTC Goal 9
• Examine social, political and legal institutions and processes in American society and learn how they interact with each other to regulate behavior in society.  MnTC Goal 5
• Use and critique current and alternative laws and theories.  MnTC Goal 5
• Develop and communicate alternative explanations for contemporary social, political and legal issues.  MnTC Goal 5
• Examine, articulate and apply their own ethical views on laws and the legal system.  MnTC Goal 9
• Understand and apply core concepts of politics, legal rights and notions of justice to specific issues.  MnTC Goal 9
• Identify ways to exercise the rights and responsibilities of good citizenship and how it affects the legal and political systems in society.  MnTC Goal 9
• Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition.  MnTC Goal 5
• Analyze and reflect on the ethical dimensions of legal, social, and scientific issues.  MnTC Goal 9

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. History and the Law
• Law through the ages
• The English Heritage
• The American Experience
• The American Legal Profession
2. Court Organization
• The Federal Court System
• State Court Systems
• Judicial Selection
• Removal of Judges
3. Procedure and Evidence
• Civil and Criminal Procedure
• Rules of Evidence
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
4. Limitations
• Judicial Restraint
• Statute of Limitations
5. Constitutional Law
• Judicial Review
• Constitutional Interpretation and Doctrines
6. Criminal Law
• Elements of a Crime, Punishment, Juvenile Justice
• Characteristics of Criminal Law, Procedural Criminal Law
7. Administrative Law
• Delegation Theory
• Judicial Review and Administrative Law
8. Environmental Law
• Major Environmental Legislation
• Issues of Environmental Law
9. Torts
• Negligence, Intentional Torts
• Strict Liability and Product Liability
• Defenses
10. Contracts
• Formation, Rules of Construction, Terms of Art
• Breach of Contract, Consumer Law
• Business Relationships
11. Property
• Estates, Probate and Succession
• Title and Liens, Trusts and Gifts, Intellectual Property
12. Family Law
• Role of the State in Family Relationships
• Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage
• Parent-Child Relationship
13. Conclusion
• Law as Protector and Oppressor
• Law and Politics
• Law and Society
• Law and Economics

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions