Sean Beienburg
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Mail code: 0602Campus: Tempe
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After growing up in Phoenix, Sean Beienburg attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, graduating with majors in politics and history, and completed his doctorate in politics at Princeton University in New Jersey. Before coming to ASU, he taught at Haverford College and was an assistant professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
Beienburg's teaching and research interests include the U.S. Constitution and constitutional law, federalism and state constitutionalism/politics, Arizona constitutionalism, American political thought and development, executive power (both presidential and gubernatorial), parties and interest groups, 19th and early 20th century political and constitutional history, and Prohibition.
He is the author of Prohibition, the Constitution, and States' Rights (published by the University of Chicago Press, 2019) and Progressive States' Rights: The Forgotten History of Federalism (University Press of Kansas, 2024.)
He currently serves as the Associate Director of SCETL as well as the Director of the Center for American Civics.
He is the project director of the Arizona Constitution Project initiative.
In addition to his constitutional work, he also written about the political themes of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and the Daniel Craig-era James Bond films.
- Ph.D. Politics, Princeton University
- B.A. Politics and History, Pomona College
Books:
Progressive States' Rights: The Forgotten History of Federalism (University Press of Kansas, 2024)
Prohibition, the Constitution, and States' Rights (University of Chicago Press, 2019)
Publications (peer-reviewed journals and book chapters):
“For Queen and Country: The Burkean Conservatism of (Daniel Craig-era) James Bond,” in Winning the Crowd: The Politics of Popular Film, ed. Jonathan Ashbach, (Lexington Press, 2005), 185-205.
"Forgotten Founder: The Short Life of Michael Cunniff, Arizona's First Legislative Leader." Journal of Arizona History 65 (2024):429-643. (with Aaron Kushner)
Publications (Law Review)
Publications (invited)
"The People Against Themselves: Rethinking Popular Constitutionalism," Law and Social Inquiry (2016):242-66. (with Paul Frymer)
Book Reviews:
Publications (popular)
"To Constrain Trump, Progressives Should Look to the States," The Hill (November 2024)
“Constitutional Federalism: Revisiting the Past for a Solution in the
Present”. Constitutional Conversations (February 2023)
"After Dobbs," Law & Liberty (December 2021)
"Federalism, Originalism, and Constitutional Amendments," Law & Liberty (November 2021)
"California as the Past, Californians as the Future?" Law & Liberty (July 2021)
“Originalists Were Always for (Some) Judicial Engagement,” Law & Liberty (January 2020)
“Prohibition and Federalism: Lessons for Today,” National Review (December 2019)
“Prohibition and the Constitution’s Limits” Law & Liberty (October 2019)
“Arizona: Born Angry” Constituting America, Series on Federalism and State Constitutions (July 2019)
"Prohibition, then and now," US News and World Report (December 2016)
"Reflections on the Revolution in Gotham: Of Burke and Batman," Pop Matters (2012)
Courses
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 394 | Special Topics |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
| CEL 598 | Special Topics |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 200 | Great Debates in Amer Politics |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 200 | Great Debates in Amer Politics |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 394 | Special Topics |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
| CEL 394 | Special Topics |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |
| CEL 394 | Special Topics |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 294 | Special Topics |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 394 | Special Topics |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
2020 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| CEL 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| CEL 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| CEL 493 | Honors Thesis |
| CEL 394 | Special Topics |
| CEL 494 | Special Topics |