Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Reflections On Substance And Form In The Civil Rights Classroom, Doni Gewirtzman
Reflections On Substance And Form In The Civil Rights Classroom, Doni Gewirtzman
Articles & Chapters
Legal education typically treats substance and form as unrelated entities -- the same pedagogical structure and tools are used regardless of the nature of the course. This Essay attempts to align the way we teach civil rights law with the nature of the subject matter by exploring three central conflicts that touch on both substance and form: the battle between coercion and freedom, the battle between public and private, and the battle between law and love. It argues that while the form of legal education polarizes each of these divides, the substance of civil rights law takes a more ambiguous …
Our Founding Feelings: Emotion, Commitment, And Imagination In Constitutional Culture, Doni Gewirtzman
Our Founding Feelings: Emotion, Commitment, And Imagination In Constitutional Culture, Doni Gewirtzman
Articles & Chapters
Traditionally, scholars and judges have treated emotion as a destructive force within constitutional culture. This Article uses recent developments in social psychology, neurobiology, and political psychology to challenge this dominant account and reposition emotion as central to our collective constitutional endeavor. It argues that emotion is critical to commitment and imagination, two features of human behavior that are essential to constitutional legitimacy and innovation. Further, emotions shape our perceptions and preferences about constitutional values through their impact on attitude development and moral decision-making. Finally, our increased understanding of emotion's impact on human behavior has the potential to alter the way …