Constitutional Law November 9, 2004

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Constitutional Law November 9, 2004

• Equal Protection Due Process
• Fundamental Rights
• Death and Dying
• Other Fundamental Rights
• Economic Rights
• Introduction
• DP EP
• Contracts Clause
• Takings (Tomorrow)

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Recap

• EP FR
• Travel
• Shapiro (FR SS)
• Saenz (Components and Sources)
• Voting
• Qualifications
• Dilution
• Bush v. Gore
• Access to Court

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5. Baselines Revisited

• Burdens and DP
• EP Relative Treatment
• Suspect Classifications
• FR?
• Denial of Benefits as an EP Burden?
• Shapiro Access to Court
• Vs. Maher, Harris, and Rust
• Implications

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G. Economic Rights1. Introduction

• Constitutional Provisions
• DP EP
• K Clause
• Takings
• Historical Overview
• Lochner era
• Post New Deal Tolerance
• Renewed Interest?
• Baselines

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c. Baselines

• Common Law Baselines
• Laissez Faire Economic Theory
• Regulation Interferes With Rights
• No Baselines
• Social Construction of Property
• Regulation Defines Rights
• Expectations Baseline
• Protect Reasonable Reliance
• Retroactive Effects Violate Rights

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2. DP EP

• Rational Basis Test
• Any Plausible Purpose
• Very Loose Fit w/Means
• Williamson Epitomizes Deference
• Anticompetitive Regulation (cf. Ferguson)
• Poor fit with Purposes
• Rent Seeking and Economic Rights
• Retroactivity Issues (Romein)

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3. K Clause

• Historical Background
• Debtor Relief Laws
• Early Decisions
• Convergence w/DP
• Framework
• Substantial Impairment of K
• W/in Police Power?
• Problem of State Ks

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3.b.i. Impairment

• Contractual Obligation
• Must Be a K
• Obligation Impaired (Romein) (link)
• Retroactive Effect
• Prospective Laws Beyond Scope
• Implications of Prior Regulation
• Does Degree of Impairment Matter?
• Suggestion in Energy Reserves
• Later Retreat (Keystone)

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3.b.ii. Police Power

• Incidental to Valid Purpose
• Rationale for RB Inquiry
• Ks Cannot Estop Police Power
• Implied Condition of Every Contract
• Energy Reserves
• Protect Consumers Against High Prices
• Correct Market Imbalance

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3.c. State Ks

• W/in K Clause
• United States Trust
• Restriction on Bonds re Use of Tolls
• Statute vs. Contract
• Necessity Reasonableness
• Alternative Means Not Necessary
• No Changed Circumstances Not Reasonable

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Romein

• Benefit Coordination
• Applied Retroactively by Courts
• Reversed by Statute
• Business Required to Refund
• Substantial Impairment
• Employment Ks
• Benefit Coordination not Implied Term
• Not Law At time of K
• Doesnt Relate to Enforceability
• Due Process Retroactivity RB

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