This course will explore the constitutional, legal and political limitations on the exercise of federal government power. We will focus upon, among other topics, the philosophical influences upon the Framers, as reflected in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and elsewhere; the constitutional structure developed by the Framers for separating and limiting the powers of the executive, legislative and judicial branches; the constitutional, statutory and common law principles and laws that constrain the exercise of power by the President, Congress and the courts; the federalism relationship between the federal government and the states; the expansion of executive power, including that wielded by law-enforcement agencies, the intelligence community and other executive branch bureaucracies; the expansive reach of judicial power; the evolving power of Congress; the impeachment of executive and judicial branch officers; and the political, media and other constraints on the exercise of federal power. May not be taken for credit in addition to POL 390, topic: Federal Government Power, or POL 391, topic: Federal Government Power.