The United States Constitution was an experiment for a new form of government, a system where powers were distributed between the central government and the states. The experiment never ended and the delicate balance between the powers of the federal government, the powers of the states and the powers of local authorities is often subject to political and legal scrutiny.
The Centre for American Legal Studies undertakes research projects that investigate the tensions arising in the U.S. three-tiered federal system, the role of the courts in setting a balance and, more widely, the various ways in which the legal system interacts with the political process.
We currently have projects that investigate litigation in the following areas:
- Health care (implementation and litigation around the Affordable Care Act)
- Gun Control
- Immigration and the rise of Sanctuary Cities
- Abortion and Sex Education
- Environmental litigation (Rights for Nature)