The Volokh Conspiracy - Conceptually Important Constitutional Law Questions That Aren't Often Asked:

Michael Froomkin has a great list; here's a sample:

Around the country, law students who study Constitutional Law in the Fall sone will be studying for their finals; not long afterwards, those who study it in Spring will start up their course. So it's as good a time as any to list the questions that, back in the days I used teach Constitutional Law I, I used to ask my students during the first week of class.

Some of these questions are very easy (although even in those cases, the answers may surprise you); some only appear to be. Others are inspired by real and difficult cases; a few illustrate doctrines of constitutional interpretation, some more controversial than others. And perhaps one or two don't have answers, or at least not answers that everyone agrees to. Which is remarkably odd given the simplicity of most of these questions....

Read The US Constitution, and the Amendments then take the quiz...

1. What clause, if any, of the Constitution permits Congress to establish an air force? . . .

3. May Congress pass secret laws? If so, may (must?) the courts enforce them? . . .

7. What is "corruption of blood," and why do we care? (you did look it up, didn't you?) . . .

9. Can a person simultaneously be a Member of the House of Representatives and hold office in the Cabinet? . . .

11. Is there anything in the federal constitution that would prevent Congress from being chosen by a lottery among all registered voters?

12. Can Generals be impeached? . . .

18. Could Congress validly give the Chief Justice the power to appoint the Attorney General? . . .

The answer to the first question is here (though for the record I think that what Michael derides as the "wimpish" answer is actually perfectly fine, though other answers can also reinforce it).

	[Eugene Volokh, November 18, 2005 at 11:39am] Trackbacks Conceptually Important Constitutional Law Questions That Aren't Often Asked: Michael Froomkin has a great list; here's a sample: Around the country, law students who study Constitutional Law in the Fall sone will be studying for their finals; not long afterwards, those who study it in Spring will start up their course. So it's as good a time as any to list the questions that, back in the days I used teach Constitutional Law I, I used to ask my students during the first week of class. Some of these questions are very easy (although even in those cases, the answers may surprise you); some only appear to be. Others are inspired by real and difficult cases; a few illustrate doctrines of constitutional interpretation, some more controversial than others. And perhaps one or two don't have answers, or at least not answers that everyone agrees to. Which is remarkably odd given the simplicity of most of these questions.... Read The US Constitution, and the Amendments then take the quiz... 1. What clause, if any, of the Constitution permits Congress to establish an air force? . . . 3. May Congress pass secret laws? If so, may (must?) the courts enforce them? . . . 7. What is "corruption of blood," and why do we care? (you did look it up, didn't you?) . . . 9. Can a person simultaneously be a Member of the House of Representatives and hold office in the Cabinet? . . . 11. Is there anything in the federal constitution that would prevent Congress from being chosen by a lottery among all registered voters? 12. Can Generals be impeached? . . . 18. Could Congress validly give the Chief Justice the power to appoint the Attorney General? . . . The answer to the first question is here (though for the record I think that what Michael derides as the "wimpish" answer is actually perfectly fine, though other answers can also reinforce it).