This course will study what Ayn Rand called "the great American achievement," the system of checks and balances of the Constitution. Students will gain a deep understanding of American governmental organization, the reason this organization is necessary to protect rights, the reason it works and the reason it is deteriorating: i.e., why this country cannot last without the proper philosophy.

The course will examine how the Constitution divides the federal government into its lawmaking function (the legislature), its enforcement function (the executive) and the law courts (the judiciary) and how it divides governmental powers between the state and federal governments. It will explore the relationship between the language and structure of the Constitution and the rights it was designed to secure.