Nullification, the Jeffersonian mechanism of state resistance to unconstitutional acts of the U.S. government, has returned to the news in recent years, and is the subject of a new book by the instructor of this course. The course will cover the historical, constitutional, and moral arguments that have been raised for and against the idea of state nullification. Students will examine the major sources and documents that comprise this tradition of American political thought, and read and discuss the famous debates in American history over nullification and the nature of the American Union: Daniel Webster vs. Robert Hayne, Andrew Jackson vs. Littleton Waller Tazewell, and Joseph Story vs. Abel Upshur. To understand this topic is to gain an intimate knowledge and understanding of American history. (The book Nullification is the only required reading that is unavailable to read online.)

Read Tom Woods’ Mises Daily on the course.

Lectures:

Lectures will be Tuesday evenings, at 9pm EST.  They will be recorded and made available for enrolled students to download.

Reading:

Readings include primary documents, works by contemporaries, and recent scholarship and commentary. A full hyper-linked syllabus with readings for each weekly topic will be available for all students.  The only book that will need to be purchased for the course is Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century, written by Professor Woods.  All other readings will be available for free online.

Refund Policy

If you drop the course during its first week (7 calendar days), you will receive a full refund, minus a $25 processing fee.
If you drop the course during its second week, you will receive a half refund.
No refunds will be granted following the second week.