Political Violence and the Law (7122): Twenty years after September 11, 2001, and the onset of the U.S.-led global war on terror, fears of political violence within the United States are rising and shifting. Between the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, record numbers of hate crimes targeting identity groups, and growing proportions of the American public expressing support for violence against the state, the specter of political violence has generated new legal questions and rekindled old ones. How does the law conceptualize "political" crimes or "crimes against the state"? What are the legal, political, and symbolic differences between categories such as treason, terrorism, insurrection, sedition, and hate crimes? How does the law conceptualize such violence in comparison with violence by the state? How should government institutions, including executive agencies and courts, respond to the threat of political violence while protecting rights, supporting equality, and aspiring to democratic accountability? This seminar explores contemporary policy questions in light of a broader theoretical, historical, and legal context. This course has two grading options. You may either choose to complete four response papers (4-5 pages each) responding to the week's readings or write a 18-20 page research paper for R credit. Elements used in grading: Attendance, class participation, and written assignments or a final research paper.