Connecticut State Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, a Democrat, has taught a constitutional law class at Quinnipiac University for over a decade. Gadkar-Wilcox says for the first time teaching the course has thrown her for a loop, . as students and the U.S. Supreme Court is becoming more partisan, according to Wilcox.
“It's gotten a little harder, I have to say, for me to teach constitutional law, because some of the decisions… don't themselves, seem to be rooted in constitutional theory,” Gadkar-Wilcox said.
Gadkar-Wilcox says she and her students aren’t pessimistic. She says most of her students have faith that the constitution can still act as a check on government power
even as some say they have their own concerns about the federal government.
Sasha Caracciolo, is a junior and a student in Gadkar- Wilcox’s class. Caracciolo and other students selected topics to present to the class. She plans to attend law school and argued Supreme Court justices should have term limits. Caracciolosaid she believes the constitution can still act as a check on executive power.
“Despite all branches being majority Republican right now, I still have faith in the Constitution and the way that the system was set up,” Caracciolo said. I have faith that he (Trump) has four years in office, and then he's out, and I have faith that people won't let him run again.”
Other students such as Melody Saboori, a sophomore, did her presentation on Trump v United States, which ruled the president is entitled to immunity while in office.
Sabori believes that it weakens the concept of checks and balances.
“This is making that ineffective,” Saboori said. “And the idea of impeachment, impeachment remains a check on executive power, but with a polarized legislative branch, there's this question like, is that even still an effective check?”
Gary Rose, a political science professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, has taught a similar course for decades. Rose said the student body at the private Catholic university, tends to be more politically conservative compared to other schools.
Rose said many of his students are not critical of recent supreme court decisions or ongoing cases, referring to birthright citizenship and limits on executive power.
“On the immunity issue, I would say that the class was divided. So, what I think I'm telling you here, which you probably have just discerned, is that in my constitutional law class, I have a significant number of Trump supporters.”
Rose said his class in some ways, reflects national divisions over politics. Rose said there is a gender divide in his classroom over court decisions as well. His male students are more likely to be Trump supporters while a few of his female students support the president, according to Rose.
Rose, and Gadkar-Wilcox agree that many of their students often debate federal court decisions and cases through a partisan lens. Rose said he emphasizes the role of presidents in the selection process for Supreme Court justices.
“The biggest surprise is that, because I made it a point of teaching this, was that students really do see how different presidents put individuals on the court to pursue an agenda,” Rose said.
As Gadkar-Wilcox’s class wrapped up, Saboori said despite her presentation on term limits for Supreme Court justices, the constitution still matters because ordinary people still believe in it. Saboori said she believes that matters as much as the ability of the courts to challenge the executive branch.
“As long as there's (an) ability to hold our government accountable, which we have, then there's reason to hope,” Saboori said.
