Monday Session 2   

The Americans who participated in the epic struggle to separate from Britain generally accepted the idea of representative self-government, but they sharply disagreed with each other about what that meant. The men we know as "The Founders" crafted a scheme for a centralized constitutional republic. Those who disagreed, who worried about the accumulation of power and the lack of safeguards for civil rights, were also Founders. These were the Antifederalists. Their contributions and failings will be discussed.

This course will first look at the history of environmental law in the United States, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its mandate to regulate and enforce the standards sought by Congress, and the relevant case law to date. The relationship between the environment and the economy will be explored, with an emphasis on the environmental legacy of heavy manufacturing (such as steel in the Mon Valley) and its impact on the local economy. Finally, we will look at international environmental litigation in the Hague and what the cases in the International Court of Justice say regarding environmental justice.

Society has many systems for detaining individuals depending on the motives for imposing detention: deterrence, isolation, rehabilitation, or retribution. We will compare the various systems of detention including adult criminal, juvenile, civil commitment of the mentally ill, and pretrial detention. We will try to find out how the best features of various systems can be used to achieve society's goals. News accounts of recent cases will serve to frame our discussion.

Part 2 of this course takes members on a virtual and chronological tour of historic places in Western Pennsylvania, from the Industrial Age to the modern day. Participants will virtually visit several locations, from the Drake Oil Well in Venango County to Quecreek Mine Rescue in Somerset County. Part 1 is not a prerequisite for Part 2.