Post-September 11 World: An Exception or Business as Usual?

Following September 11, 2001, the course of American law and politics surprised as many people as did the events of the actual day. Various constitutional protections thought to be extended to all persons alike--citizens, legal residents, visitors, undocumented residents151were restricted. Most men of Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian descent were force to register their presence. Domestic surveillance was forcefully brought back into U.S. Government jurisdiction. As of August 2007, it is legal for the U.S. to spy on its citizens. Is this framework an unprecedented response to a dangerous new world? Or can we find it in other moments in history? In this course, we will read a range of historical, political, and theoretical materials in order to answer this question. Readings may include some of the following authors: David Cole,Alan Dershowitz, Carl Schmitt, Giorgio Agamben, Mahmood Mamdani, Roger Daniels, Charles Mills, Natsu Taylor Saito.