Course Description

Nomads often change countries. When choosing a country of residence, not only the climate, local cuisine and wireless Internet speed are important, but also the legal regime, the degree of compliance with laws and the ability to protect your rights. For this, it is useful to feel like a citizens and understand how local Constitution works.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of world history, Russian history, American history, and Georgian history. An understanding of the fundamentals of social order and statehood. The main requirement: a clear understanding of one's current civil status and the ability to formulate a question—in the area of - state and law—that one would like to answer within the course.

Learning Goals
 - Understand the basic types of normative regulation in society, including the specifics of such a regulator as law.
 - Understand the general concepts of "authority" and "state authority." Understand the meaning of the concept of "separation of powers" and its contradictions.
 - Understand the importance of the court and the judiciary.
 - Understand how the Constitution can protect individual rights and freedoms.
 - Master the concept of "International Constitutionalism" and the mechanisms for protecting individual rights.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, graduates will gain an understanding of the constitutional structure of a particular country, the functioning of democratic institutions, and the means of realizing individual rights.

Course Topics

1. Law: concept, essence, development of  institutions. In whose interests does the law "work" ? The law of judges, the law of scientists, and the law of power. The Constitution: a legal way of organizing democracy.

2. Separation of powers in the system of checks and balances. Examples of different constitutions and political regimes. Constitutional design.

3. The judiciary in the system of separation of powers. The judicial system in Georgia. Judicial reform in the Russian Federation. Judicial system in the USA and its modern role.

4. Constitutional rights and freedoms: implementation and protection. Political freedoms - of speech,  association  assembly. Implementation of the right to freedom of assembly. Examples of the Russian Federation, Georgia, the USA.

5. Modern human rights protection at the local, national and international levels. International campaigns to protect rights in a particular country.

Assessment

The assessment of the mastery of the course by the graduate is carried out in the form of public defense. To participate in it, you need to submit a presentation - 5-7 slides in ppt format, and text abstracts in the amount of 1.5 - 2 pages of text in word / pdf format.

Examples of thesis topics

1. Georgian Family Law vs Patriarchal Family Traditions

2. Minority Rights in Georgian Constitution and their implementation

3. Freedom of Assembly in Georgia and Turkey: possible lessons for citizens in authoritarian environments

4. Global Citizenship concept in the world of Nation States: implications for practice of citizen's rights and duties

5. Change of power through competitive elections: factor analysis through mathematical modeling and its explanatory power

6. Constitution-making beyond the State: Russian Anti-War Communities and their projects for the Russian Future