Prerequisite: None

Exam Type: No Exam

The Obama Presidency is history – meaning that enough time has passed since its end that it can be appreciated as a historical artifact that has obvious implications for our own time. This reading group will consider both the election of Obama as president and his two terms in office, and their implications for subsequent developments in American law and life. It will take in topics that include Obama’s biography and its role in his first campaign for president, and the promises and pitfalls of his status as the first African American president. It will also consider legal and policy topics that arose during his presidency, such as economic inequality, racial division and criminal justice, immigration, financial regulation, the balance between national security and civil liberties, and the organization of politics. It will also consider how and why the once-seeming political consensus on such topics has fallen apart, although some of the symptoms of that collapse didn’t become evident until after the 2016 presidential election.

Class format will consist mainly of readings and class discussion, and students are encouraged to bring their own perspectives to bear on these difficult and timely issues.

Note: This reading group will meet on the following dates: TBD.