Resource person: Audra Bullard - office@clehighlands.com

Description:

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” That this provision guarantees “birthright citizenship” to everyone except the children of foreign diplomats stood as a virtually unquestioned feature of American constitutional law for more than a century. Recently, however, a small group of conservative legal scholars has endorsed a radically different interpretation, arguing that the Constitution grants citizenship only to the children of American citizens. Although this interpretation has lingered mainly on the fringes of American constitutional law for the past two decades, President Donald Trump dramatically endorsed it in January 2025 in an executive order issued on the first day of his second term. The Supreme Court may weigh in or give some hints as to how it might resolve this issue in the near future. This lecture will examine the history of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause, the arguments for and against the two competing interpretations, what these arguments can teach us about “originalism” as a method of constitutional interpretation, and the implications of the debate over birthright citizenship for American law, politics, and culture.

William Lasser is the Director of the Clemson Honors College and Alumni Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Clemson University. A graduate of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he is the author of numerous books and articles on law and American politics, including, The Supreme Court and Critical Realignment; The Limits of Judicial Power: the Supreme Court and American Politics; Benjamin Cohen: Architect of the New Deal; The Supreme Court and the Political Process; and Was There a Switch in Time: Justice Roberts and the Constitutional Revolution of 1937. He has written extensively for the Atlanta Constitution and other newspapers and has made numerous appearances on radio talk shows and on local and cable television. Lasser has taught courses in constitutional law and American government for the past 25 years.

Notes: Cancellation Policy Please let us know immediately if you are unable to attend a class. There is no refund for cancellations within two (2) weeks prior to a scheduled class. Programs that include food, beverage or art materials must be canceled within three (3) weeks prior to receive a refund. CLE reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment has not been met or for circumstances beyond our control, and participants will be notified, a complete refund will be issued. All classes are held in the CLE Lecture Hall at the Peggy Crosby Center unless otherwise noted. In the event information has changed from the published brochure, it will be posted on our website and in our e-blasts. Addresses for “private home” venues will be provided to registrants within 2 days of the program date.

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