Constitutional Principle: Capital Punishment, 8th Amendment
Gregg v. Georgia (1976)- Death Penalty
1. Students must select ONE United States Supreme Court case for research from the list available for review in Blackboard Learn from the Research Papers link or select ONE United States Supreme Court case not on the list.
2. Part One-Historical Background
a. Describe United States society as it relates to the case (ex. economic, cultural norms, politics, or international issues) at the time of the ruling (10%)
b. Discuss the conflict which led to the case itself including describing individuals involved or the law that prompted the constitutional dispute. (10%)
c. Describe the route the case took through the court system including lower court decisions (5%)
3. Part two- At the Supreme court
d. Discuss the oral arguments of each side including the constitutional issues being debated before the court by both sides. (20%)
e. Describe the Supreme Court opinions, both majority and minority (if applicable). Explain what their reasoning was at it applies to the meaning of the Constitution. (25%)
f. Conclude with what impact and long term significance the courts ruling had on American society at the time of the ruling, now and in the future. Provide specific examples in the area of politics, law, cultural norms, etc. (25%)
g. Students must follow proper APA formatting for the reference page only which is available for review in Blackboard Learn from the Research Papers link including a minimum of THREE research sources (5%). Abstract, etc. not required.
h. Supreme Court case study grade is worth 15% of overall course average.
