US Politics: The US Constitution As A Sacred Text With Dr Michael Frazer From University of East Anglia

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Dr Michael Frazer, Associate Professor in Political and Social Theory in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies will discuss The US Constitution as a Sacred Text. 

One famous difference between the political systems in the US and the UK is that the US has a written constitution while the UK lacks one. While many other countries also have written constitutions, they generally do not play the central cultural role that the constitution plays in American life.

Key to understanding American politics is understanding that the constitution is no mere legal document, but rather a sacred text, more akin to the scriptures of traditional religions than to the constitutions of other modern states. Many Americans literally believe the constitution to be divinely inspired; even those who do not literally believe this often act as if they did.

Political debate in the United States generally takes the form about the proper interpretation of the constitution and the values implicit in it. In this respect, the American form of government might be better understood by analogy with the Iranian regime than to the British one. While containing some democratic representation, both the American and Iranian governments also grant tremendous power to non-elected officials who claim expertise in the authoritative interpretation of sacred texts.

Lecturer Profile (Please Click):  Dr Michael Frazer

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Politics and related disciplines.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying Politics at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Bluejeans (similar to Zoom) and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

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