Approaching The U S Constitution

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Approaching the U.S. Constitution

Kerry L. Hunter
Approaching the U S Constitution Book PDF

Author : Kerry L. Hunter
Publisher : Lexington Books
Page : 175 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2014-06-18
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780739190838

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Approaching the U.S. Constitution by Kerry L. Hunter Pdf

By reminding readers that early Supreme Court justices refused to reduce the Constitution to a mere legal document, Approaching the U.S. Constitution provides a definitive response to Reading Law by Antonin Scalia and Bryan Garner. Turning to the vision of Alexander Hamilton found in Federalists No. 78, Hunter argues that rather than seeing the judiciary as America’s legal guardian, Hamilton looked to independent individuals of integrity on the judiciary to be the nation’s collective conscience. For Hamilton, the judiciary’s authority over the legislature does not derive from positive law but is extra-legal by 'design' and is purely moral. By emphasizing the legal expertise of judges alone, individuals such as Justice Scalia mistakenly demand that judges exercise no human ethical judgment whatsoever. Yet the more this happens, the more the “rule of law” is replaced by the rule of lawyers. Legal sophistry becomes the primary currency wherewith society’s ethical and moral questions are resolved. Moreover, the alleged neutrality of legal analysis is deceptive with its claims of judicial modesty. It is not only undemocratic, it is dictatorial and highly elitist. Public debate over questions of fairness is replaced by an exclusive legalistic debate between lawyers over what is legal. The more Scalia and Garner realize their agenda, the more all appeals to what is moral will be effectively removed from political debate. 'Conservatives' lament the 'removing God from the classroom,' by 'liberals,' yet if the advocates of legalism get their way, God will be effectively removed from the polis altogether. The answer to preserving both separation of powers and the American commitment to unalienable human rights is to view the Supreme Court in the same way early founders such as Hamilton did and in the way President Abraham Lincoln urged. The Court’s most important function in exercising the power of judicial review is to serve as the nation’s conscience just as it did in Brown v. Board of Education.

Fidelity & Constraint

Lawrence Lessig
Fidelity Constraint Book PDF

Author : Lawrence Lessig
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 448 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2019-04-03
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780190932565

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Fidelity & Constraint by Lawrence Lessig Pdf

The fundamental fact about our Constitution is that it is old -- the oldest written constitution in the world. The fundamental challenge for interpreters of the Constitution is how to read that old document over time. In Fidelity & Constraint, legal scholar Lawrence Lessig explains that one of the most basic approaches to interpreting the constitution is the process of translation. Indeed, some of the most significant shifts in constitutional doctrine are products of the evolution of the translation process over time. In every new era, judges understand their translations as instances of "interpretive fidelity," framed within each new temporal context. Yet, as Lessig also argues, there is a repeatedly occurring countermove that upends the process of translation. Throughout American history, there has been a second fidelity in addition to interpretive fidelity: what Lessig calls "fidelity to role." In each of the cycles of translation that he describes, the role of the judge -- the ultimate translator -- has evolved too. Old ways of interpreting the text now become illegitimate because they do not match up with the judge's perceived role. And when that conflict occurs, the practice of judges within our tradition has been to follow the guidance of a fidelity to role. Ultimately, Lessig not only shows us how important the concept of translation is to constitutional interpretation, but also exposes the institutional limits on this practice. The first work of both constitutional and foundational theory by one of America's leading legal minds, Fidelity & Constraint maps strategies that both help judges understand the fundamental conflict at the heart of interpretation whenever it arises and work around the limits it inevitably creates.

The Constitution as Treaty

Francisco Forrest Martin
The Constitution as Treaty Book PDF

Author : Francisco Forrest Martin
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2007-09-24
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781139467186

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The Constitution as Treaty by Francisco Forrest Martin Pdf

The Constitution as Treaty transforms the conceptualization of US constitutional law by exploring the interpretive implications of viewing the US Constitution as a treaty. It argues that federal courts constitute an international tribunal system, and, as such, their jurisdiction is governed by international law enabling them to exercise judicial review authority and undercutting much of the judicial activist critique. The Constitution as Treaty continues with an examination of what is international law and its major interpretive principles in order to set the stage for examining how different sources and principles of international law are intrinsically integrated into US constitutional law and, thereby, are available to federal courts for deciding cases. It addresses the Charming Betsy Rule, the non-self-execution doctrine, the last-in-time rule, and the proper use of customary international law and other international law sources not mentioned in Article III. The Constitution as Treaty concludes that federal courts generally must construe the United States' international legal obligations liberally.

The Living Constitution

David A. Strauss
The Living Constitution Book PDF

Author : David A. Strauss
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2010-05-19
Category : Law
ISBN : 0199752532

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The Living Constitution by David A. Strauss Pdf

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once remarked that the theory of an evolving, "living" Constitution effectively "rendered the Constitution useless." He wanted a "dead Constitution," he joked, arguing it must be interpreted as the framers originally understood it. In The Living Constitution, leading constitutional scholar David Strauss forcefully argues against the claims of Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, and other "originalists," explaining in clear, jargon-free English how the Constitution can sensibly evolve, without falling into the anything-goes flexibility caricatured by opponents. The living Constitution is not an out-of-touch liberal theory, Strauss further shows, but a mainstream tradition of American jurisprudence--a common-law approach to the Constitution, rooted in the written document but also based on precedent. Each generation has contributed precedents that guide and confine judicial rulings, yet allow us to meet the demands of today, not force us to follow the commands of the long-dead Founders. Strauss explores how judicial decisions adapted the Constitution's text (and contradicted original intent) to produce some of our most profound accomplishments: the end of racial segregation, the expansion of women's rights, and the freedom of speech. By contrast, originalism suffers from fatal flaws: the impossibility of truly divining original intent, the difficulty of adapting eighteenth-century understandings to the modern world, and the pointlessness of chaining ourselves to decisions made centuries ago. David Strauss is one of our leading authorities on Constitutional law--one with practical knowledge as well, having served as Assistant Solicitor General of the United States and argued eighteen cases before the United States Supreme Court. Now he offers a profound new understanding of how the Constitution can remain vital to life in the twenty-first century.

The Everything U.S. Constitution Book

Ellen M Kozak
The Everything U S Constitution Book Book PDF

Author : Ellen M Kozak
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2011-05-18
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781440525612

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The Everything U.S. Constitution Book by Ellen M Kozak Pdf

Debates over constitutional rights impact you every day as an American citizen. But do you know what the U.S. Constitution actually says? This accessible guide contains the complete text of the Constitution, with short, descriptive margin notes throughout. Articles and amendments are then analyzed in depth to help you comprehend the basis of democracy. This valuable handbook covers: How the articles and amendments were drafted Insight into the intentions of the creators and the sources they used Controversial interpretations and Supreme Court decisions How the Constitution affects citizens every day The Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and unratified Constitutional amendments This book walks you through the history of this essential document and shows how it has guided lawmakers and judges for more than 200 years. This unbiased look at the Constitution will help you feel confident in your knowledge of this all-important document, gain a firmer understanding of how our government works, and put context around today's most pressing issues.

The Second Creation

Jonathan Gienapp
The Second Creation Book PDF

Author : Jonathan Gienapp
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 402 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2018-10-09
Category : History
ISBN : 9780674989528

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The Second Creation by Jonathan Gienapp Pdf

Americans widely believe that the U.S. Constitution was almost wholly created when it was drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788. Jonathan Gienapp recovers the unknown story of the Constitution’s second creation in the decade after its adoption—a story with explosive implications for current debates over constitutional originalism and interpretation.

A More Perfect Union

Anonim
A More Perfect Union Book PDF

Author : Anonim
Publisher : National Archives & Records Administration
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 1986
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UVA:X004095835

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A More Perfect Union by Anonim Pdf

Reprint. Originally published : Washington, D.C. : National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1978.

The Constitution of the United States of America

Mark Tushnet
The Constitution of the United States of America Book PDF

Author : Mark Tushnet
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2015-08-27
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781509901760

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The Constitution of the United States of America by Mark Tushnet Pdf

This is the second edition of Professor Tushnet's short critical introduction to the history and current meaning of the United States' Constitution. It is organised around wo themes: first, the US Constitution is old, short, and difficult to amend. Second, the Constitution creates a structure of political opportunities that allows political actors, icluding political parties, to pursue the preferred policy goals even to the point of altering the very structure of politics. Deploying these themes to examine the structure f the national government, federalism, judicial review, and individual rights, the book provides basic information about, and deeper insights into, the way he US constitutional system has developed and what it means today.

The Cult of the Constitution

Mary Anne Franks
The Cult of the Constitution Book PDF

Author : Mary Anne Franks
Publisher : Stanford University Press
Page : 310 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2019-05-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781503609105

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The Cult of the Constitution by Mary Anne Franks Pdf

“A powerful challenge to the prevailing constitutional orthodoxy of the right and the left . . . A deeply troubling and absolutely vital book” (Mark Joseph Stern, Slate). In this provocative book, Mary Anne Franks examines the thin line between constitutional fidelity and constitutional fundamentalism. The Cult of the Constitution reveals how deep fundamentalist strains in both conservative and liberal American thought keep the Constitution in the service of white male supremacy. Franks demonstrates how constitutional fundamentalists read the Constitution selectively and self-servingly, thus undermining the integrity of the document as a whole. She goes on to argue that economic and civil libertarianism have merged to produce a deregulatory, “free-market” approach to constitutional rights that achieves fullest expression in the idealization of the Internet. The fetishization of the first and second amendments has blurred the boundaries between conduct and speech and between veneration and violence. But the Constitution itself contains the antidote to fundamentalism. The Cult of the Constitution lays bare the dark, antidemocratic consequences of constitutional fundamentalism and urges readers to take the Constitution seriously, not selectively.

Democracy and Equality

Geoffrey R. Stone,David A. Strauss
Democracy and Equality Book PDF

Author : Geoffrey R. Stone,David A. Strauss
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2020-01-06
Category : LAW
ISBN : 9780190938208

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Democracy and Equality by Geoffrey R. Stone,David A. Strauss Pdf

From 1953 to 1969, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren brought about many of the proudest achievements of American constitutional law. The Warren declared racial segregation and laws forbidding interracial marriage to be unconstitutional; it expanded the right of citizens to criticize public officials; it held school prayer unconstitutional; and it ruled that people accused of a crime must be given a lawyer even if they can't afford one. Yet, despite those and other achievements, conservative critics have fiercely accused the justices of the Warren Court of abusing their authority by supposedly imposing their own opinions on the nation. As the eminent legal scholars Geoffrey R. Stone and David A. Strauss demonstrate in Democracy and Equality, the Warren Court's approach to the Constitution was consistent with the most basic values of our Constitution and with the most fundamental responsibilities of our judiciary. Stone and Strauss describe the Warren Court's extraordinary achievements by reviewing its jurisprudence across a range of issues addressing our nation's commitment to the values of democracy and equality. In each chapter, they tell the story of a critical decision, exploring the historical and legal context of each case, the Court's reasoning, and how the justices of the Warren Court fulfilled the Court's most important responsibilities. This powerfully argued evaluation of the Warren Court's legacy, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Warren Court, both celebrates and defends the Warren Court's achievements against almost sixty-five years of unrelenting and unwarranted attacks by conservatives. It demonstrates not only why the Warren Court's approach to constitutional interpretation was correct and admirable, but also why the approach of the Warren Court was far superior to that of the increasingly conservative justices who have dominated the Supreme Court over the past half-century.

A Practical Guide to Constitution Building

Winluck Wahiu,Markus Böckenförde,Nora Hedling
A Practical Guide to Constitution Building Book PDF

Author : Winluck Wahiu,Markus Böckenförde,Nora Hedling
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : Constitutional law
ISBN : OCLC:779852624

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A Practical Guide to Constitution Building by Winluck Wahiu,Markus Böckenförde,Nora Hedling Pdf

"A Practical Guide to Constitution Building provides an essential foundation for understanding constitutions and constitution building. Full of world examples of ground-breaking agreements and innovative provisions adopted during processes of constitutional change, the Guide offers a wide range of examples of how constitutions develop and how their development can establish and entrench democratic values. Beyond comparative examples, the Guide contains in-depth analysis of key components of constitutions and the forces of change that shape them. The Guide analyzes the adoption of the substantive elements of a new constitution by looking at forces for the aggregation or dissemination of governmental power, and forces for greater legalization or politicization of governmental power, and examining how these forces influence the content of the constitution. It urges practitioners to look carefully at the forces at play within their individual contexts in order to better understand constitutional dynamics and play a role in shaping a constitution that will put into place a functioning democratic government and foster lasting peace."--

The Heritage Guide to the Constitution

David F. Forte,Matthew Spalding
The Heritage Guide to the Constitution Book PDF

Author : David F. Forte,Matthew Spalding
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 500 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2014-09-16
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781621573524

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The Heritage Guide to the Constitution by David F. Forte,Matthew Spalding Pdf

A landmark work of more than one hundred scholars, The Heritage Guide to the Constitution is a unique line-by-line analysis explaining every clause of America's founding charter and its contemporary meaning. In this fully revised second edition, leading scholars in law, history, and public policy offer more than two hundred updated and incisive essays on every clause of the Constitution. From the stirring words of the Preamble to the Twenty-seventh Amendment, you will gain new insights into the ideas that made America, important debates that continue from our Founding, and the Constitution's true meaning for our nation

How Rights Went Wrong

Jamal Greene
How Rights Went Wrong Book PDF

Author : Jamal Greene
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin
Page : 341 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2021
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781328518118

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How Rights Went Wrong by Jamal Greene Pdf

An eminent constitutional scholar reveals how our approach to rights is dividing America, and shows how we can build a better system of justice.

Women and the U.S. Constitution

Sibyl A. Schwarzenbach,Patricia Smith
Women and the U S Constitution Book PDF

Author : Sibyl A. Schwarzenbach,Patricia Smith
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 415 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2004-02-18
Category : History
ISBN : 9780231502962

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Women and the U.S. Constitution by Sibyl A. Schwarzenbach,Patricia Smith Pdf

Women and the U.S. Constitution is about much more than the nineteenth amendment. This provocative volume incorporates law, history, political theory, and philosophy to analyze the U.S. Constitution as a whole in relation to the rights and fate of women. Divided into three parts—History, Interpretation, and Practice—this book views the Constitution as a living document, struggling to free itself from the weight of a two-hundred-year-old past and capable of evolving to include women and their concerns. Feminism lacks both a constitutional theory as well as a clearly defined theory of political legitimacy within the framework of democracy. The scholars included here take significant and crucial steps toward these theories. In addition to constitutional issues such as federalism, gender discrimination, basic rights, privacy, and abortion, Women and the U.S. Constitution explores other issues of central concern to contemporary women—areas that, strictly speaking, are not yet considered a part of constitutional law. Women's traditional labor and its unique character, and women and the welfare state, are two examples of topics treated here from the perspective of their potentially transformative role in the future development of constitutional law.

The Constitution in Jeopardy

Russ Feingold,Peter Prindiville
The Constitution in Jeopardy Book PDF

Author : Russ Feingold,Peter Prindiville
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 316 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2022-08-30
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781541701540

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The Constitution in Jeopardy by Russ Feingold,Peter Prindiville Pdf

A former U.S. senator joins a legal scholar to examine a hushed effort to radically change our Constitution, offering a warning and a way forward. Over the last two decades, a fringe plan to call a convention under the Constitution's amendment mechanism—the nation's first ever—has inched through statehouses. Delegates, like those in Philadelphia two centuries ago, would exercise nearly unlimited authority to draft changes to our fundamental law, potentially altering anything from voting and free speech rights to regulatory and foreign policy powers. Such a watershed moment would present great danger, and for some, great power. In this important book, Feingold and Prindiville distill extensive legal and historical research and examine the grave risks inherent in this effort. But they also consider the role of constitutional amendment in modern life. Though many focus solely on judicial and electoral avenues for change, such an approach is at odds with a cornerstone ideal of the Founding: that the People make constitutional law, directly. In an era defined by faction and rejection of long-held norms, The Constitution in Jeopardy examines the nature of constitutional change and asks urgent questions about what American democracy is, and should be.