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Minor in American Constitutional Democracy

The minor in American Constitutional Democracy is designed for those students who wish to delve more deeply into the philosophical roots and complex history of self-government by exploring the intellectual, political, historical, and cultural forces that contributed to the development of both the American republic and constitutional democracy around the globe. The minor is appropriate for students in many majors, particularly political science, economics, history, and journalism.

In addition to a wide-ranging interdisciplinary curriculum, the minor contains a required “experiential” component that allows students to consider constitutional issues in practice and/or in comparative perspective.

Requirements

A minimum of fifteen (15) credits are required for the minor. Students in the minor must maintain a B average (3.0 GPA) for courses in the minor.

A minimum of twelve (12) credits must come from the courses below. At least nine (9) hours must be completed at MU.

Additionally, a minimum of three (3) credits must come from an experiential component. The experiential component may be satisfied through participation in either an internship or study abroad program associated with the minor or approved by the director of the minor. 

The minor must be completed with courses from at least two (2) subject areas.

  • A minor must be completed and awarded at the same time as the MU undergraduate degree
  • Once an A&S minor is awarded, a student cannot return to MU to complete a major in the same department
  • Minor coursework cannot also be used for Foreign Language Alternative

A minor consists of at least 15 credits, including at least 6 credits numbered 2000 or above, 9 of the required credits must be taken in MU course work. This requirement can be reduced from 9 to 6 at the discretion of an individual department. Students must meet the minimum GPA requirements for a minor, which in no case can be lower than 2.0. In addition, a student cannot receive a grade lower than a C- in any course applied towards a minor in the College. For more information, please see Requirements for Optional Minor.

AMS 3100The Age of Pericles3
or AMS 3100H The Age of Pericles - Honors
AMS 4800Political Thought in Classical and Christian Antiquity3
BL_STU 2425Race and the American Story3
or CNST_DEM 2425 Race and the American Story
or POL_SC 2425 Race and the American Story
BL_STU 2604Caribbean History and Culture3
BL_STU 2804Black Political Thought3
BL_STU 2904Black Studies in Slavery and Freedom3
or HIST 2904 Black Studies in Slavery and Freedom
BL_STU 3605The History of Blacks in Germany3
or BL_STU 3605H The History of Blacks in Germany - Honors
or GERMAN 3605 African-European Histories: The African Diaspora in Germany and Beyond
or GERMAN 3605H African-European Histories: The African Diaspora in Germany and Beyond - Honors
BL_STU 3670Global History of Black Power3
or HIST 3410 Global History of Black Power
BL_STU 3804Resistance in the Black Atlantic3
BL_STU 4303Black Studies in Race, Class, Gender, and U.S. Policy3
BL_STU 4415African Americans and American Justice3
or BL_STU 4415W African Americans and American Justice - Writing Intensive
BL_STU 4640African Politics3
or POL_SC 4640 African Politics
CNST_DEM 2100The Revolutionary Transformation of Early America3
or HIST 2100 The Revolutionary Transformation of America
or CNST_DEM 2100H The Revolutionary Transformation of Early America - Honors
or HIST 2100H The Revolutionary Transformation of America - Honors
CNST_DEM 2120The Young Republic3
or HIST 2120 The Young Republic
or CNST_DEM 2120H The Young Republic - Honors
or HIST 2120H The Young Republic - Honors
CNST_DEM 2450The Intellectual World of the American Founders3
or POL_SC 2450 The Intellectual World of the American Founders
or CNST_DEM 2450H The Intellectual World of the American Founders - Honors
or POL_SC 2450H The Intellectual World of the American Founders - Honors
CNST_DEM 2455Constitutional Debates3
or POL_SC 2455 Constitutional Debates
or CNST_DEM 2455H Constitutional Debates - Honors
or POL_SC 2455H Constitutional Debates - Honors
CNST_DEM 4231Constitutional Litigation3
or POL_SC 4231 Constitutional Litigation
CNST_DEM 4400History of American Law3
or CNST_DEM 4400W History of American Law - Writing Intensive
or HIST 4400 History of American Law
or HIST 4400W History of American Law - Writing Intensive
CNST_DEM 4835Race and Politics in South Africa3
or BL_STU 4835 Race and Politics in South Africa
or HIST 4835 Race and Politics in South Africa
or HIST 4835H Race and Politics in South Africa - Honors
CNST_DEM 4900Beltway History and Politics: American Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice3
or HIST 4900 Beltway History: American Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice
or POL_SC 4900 Beltway History and Politics: American Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice
CNST_DEM 4940Internship in Constitutional Democracy3-6
CNST_DEM 4975Journal on Constitutional Democracy1-3
or CNST_DEM 4975H Journal on Constitutional Democracy - Honors
ECONOM 3367Law and Economics3
or ECONOM 3367W Law and Economics - Writing Intensive
ENV_SC 4400WEnvironmental Law, Policy, and Justice - Writing Intensive3
GN_HON 2245HRevolutions3
GN_HON 2246HConstitutions3
HIST 2150The American Civil War: A Global History3
HIST 2210Twentieth Century America3
HIST 2440History of Missouri3
HIST 2570The First World War and its Aftermath3
HIST 2820Taiwan: The First Chinese Democracy3
HIST 3200Black Freedom Movement, 1955-19733
or BL_STU 3200 Black Freedom Movement, 1955-1973
HIST 3210History of Religion in Post-Civil War America3
HIST 3485The United States and the Middle East3
HIST 3545World War II3
HIST 3560The Scientific Revolution3
HIST 3620Britain and the Sea3
HIST 3815Africa and the World: Studies in African Histories, Cultures and Politics3
HIST 3855Japan and Britain, 1850-1940: The 'Two Island Empires'3
HIST 3860History of Mexico3
HIST 4070Indians and Europeans in Early America3
HIST 4075Global History in Oxford4
or CNST_DEM 4075 Global History in Oxford
or HIST 4075H Global History in Oxford - Honors
HIST 4235The Wire: Race, Urban Inequality, and the "Crisis" of the American City3
or BL_STU 4335 The Wire: Race, Urban Inequality, and the "Crisis" of the American City
HIST 4260The Age of Ascendancy: U.S. Foreign Relations, 1945 - Present3
HIST 4270African-Americans in the Twentieth Century3
HIST 4280America in the Reagan Years3
HIST 4580The "Making" of Modern Europe: Identity, Culture, Empire3
HIST 4615Empire's Crossroads: Britain and the Middle East3
HIST 4650Revolutionary France, 1789-18153
HIST 4680From the Rise of the Nazis to the Fall of the Wall: German History in the Twentieth Century3
HIST 4800Modern China and Japan: War, Imperialism and Memory3
HIST 4821Constitutionalism in the Americas3
or HIST 4821W Constitutionalism in the Americas - Writing Intensive
HIST 4880Chinese Migration: From Yellow Peril to Model Minority3
HIST 4910WHistory in the Public An Introduction to the Theory & Practice of Public History - Writing Intensive3
HIST 4940Internship in History3
JOURN 4000Communications Law3
PHIL 4600Justice, Rights, and the State3
POL_SC 2200The Judicial Process3
POL_SC 2250Missouri Politics3
POL_SC 2410The Politics of International Law3
POL_SC 2445American Constitutional Democracy3
or CNST_DEM 2445 American Constitutional Democracy
POL_SC 2600Canadian Politics and Government3
POL_SC 2860American Political Thought3
POL_SC 4131Race and Politics3
POL_SC 4140Congress and Legislative Policy3
POL_SC 4141The History of American Legislatures3
POL_SC 4150The American Presidency3
or POL_SC 4150W The American Presidency - Writing Intensive
POL_SC 4190Elections and Democracy in the United States3
POL_SC 4200The American Constitution3
POL_SC 4210Constitutional Rights3
POL_SC 4220The United States Supreme Court3
POL_SC 4230Constitution and Civil Liberties3
POL_SC 4320Public Policy3
POL_SC 4370Law, Policy, and Regulation3
POL_SC 4380Politics of Criminal Justice3
POL_SC 4390United States Health Politics and Policy3
POL_SC 4420Politics of International Economic Relations3
POL_SC 4430Global Human Rights3
POL_SC 4440International Organization3
POL_SC 4540American Foreign Policies3
or POL_SC 4540W American Foreign Policies - Writing Intensive
POL_SC 4550Environmental Conflict3
POL_SC 4680Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy3
POL_SC 4690Korean Politics: North and South Korea3
POL_SC 4750Power and Money3
POL_SC 4800Classical Political Theory3
POL_SC 4810Modern Political Theory3
POL_SC 4820Contemporary Political Theory3
POL_SC 4940Political Science Internship3-6
WGST 2020Feminist Theory3
WGST 3260 Gender, Law and Justice3
WGST 3450WFeminist Methodologies - Writing Intensive3

Note: Students may petition the director of the minor to have a maximum of three (3) hours from a related course not on the list above apply toward the degree. This can include Honors Tutorials associated with the Kinder Institute (GN_HON 2010H courses). Outside courses may have additional prerequisites.

The following courses have been approved to qualify for the Minor's experiential requirement:
CNST_DEM 4231Constitutional Litigation3
or POL_SC 4231 Constitutional Litigation
CNST_DEM 4835Race and Politics in South Africa3
or HIST 4835 Race and Politics in South Africa
or BL_STU 4835 Race and Politics in South Africa
CNST_DEM 4900Beltway History and Politics: American Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice3
or HIST 4900 Beltway History: American Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice
or POL_SC 4900 Beltway History and Politics: American Constitutional Democracy in Theory and Practice
CNST_DEM 4975Journal on Constitutional Democracy1-3
or HIST 4975 Journal on Constitutional Democracy
or POL_SC 4975 Journal on Constitutional Democracy
HIST 4075Global History in Oxford4
or CNST_DEM 4075 Global History in Oxford
HIST 4910WHistory in the Public An Introduction to the Theory & Practice of Public History - Writing Intensive3
CNST_DEM 4940Internship in Constitutional Democracy *3
or HIST 4940 Internship in History
or POL_SC 4940 Political Science Internship
*

HIST 4940CNST_DEM 4940 and POL_SC 4940 can only apply as experiential courses. All others listed above can apply toward either the general coursework or experiential requirement.

Contact

For general questions about the minor, contact:

Thomas Kane
(573) 882-3330
kanetc@missouri.edu