Constitutional Law for a Changing America: A Short Course

by Lee J. Epstein, Thomas G. Walker

Meeting the needs of professors who teach one-term courses --or for those teaching two terms who wish to assign other readings--this condensed, one-volume text spans the breadth of institutional powers and civil rights and liberties. So much more than a traditional casebook, this innovative text powerfully demonstrates that Supreme Court cases are more than just legal names and citations. The landmark cases analyzed and excerpted involve real people embroiled in real disputes whose cases have real political consequences. Epstein and Walker's emphasis on political context --arguments and input from lawyers and interest groups, justices' ideological and behavioral inclinations, elected officials' partisan positions, as well as public opinion --allows students to see the development of constitutional doctrine within its decidedly political environment. For this new third edition, material has been thoroughly updated through the end of the 2003-2004 term of the Supreme Court, with coverage and analysis of terrorism, campaign finance reform, executive power, religious establishment, and regulation of the Internet. Authored commentary, wrapped around the cases, helps students understand a particular case, as well as place it within the larger picture of an evolving and dynamic body of law. To assist students in evaluating alternative points of view, the authors have included excerpts of important concurring and dissenting opinions. Curious students will appreciate both the Aftermath boxes, which describe what happened to litigants after a ruling, and the Global Perspective boxes, which compare U.S. case law to similar rulings and tenets in foreign judicial systems. Epstein and Walker also include profiles of influential groups and justices, photographs of litigants, exhibits from cases, and lively descriptions of the events that led to the suits. Website addresses are included throughout, giving students easy access to the full text of opinions as well as to an audio recording of oral arguments when available.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read the 8th edition excruciatingly carefully to write/edit the accompanying test banks and lecture slides, so damn right I’m adding it!! And it really is a *great* text for any college/university that has only one course on con law. Great excerpts, great summaries, and engaging “aftermath” features. And now with a test bank edited by me! ;)

[Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the past 30 years there has been a radical change in offering of text in constitutional law. It used to be that you could only get short volumes that focused narrowly on a particular case, or aspect of constitutional interpretation, or incredibly dense books written in subsequent volumes. This book bridges the gap between those two extreme areas and presents the best features of both.

In this book, you can find excerpts from the most important Supreme Court decisions throughout history, and narratives of the biggest developments of law within those decisions through modernity. As an example, this book not only presents the groundbreaking Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)discussion and decision, but also, important narratives that both preceded and followed it like, Powell v. Alabama (1932) and Scott v. Illinois (1979).

Moving beyond the sometimes dry text that traditional books on constitutional law present, this book represents the study in a dynamic and intriguing way. In both presenting the cases, and not getting too caught up in inane details, this book makes the study of constitutional law exciting. With an approach from not just the legal factors that influence cases and decision, but the perspective of social sciences, this book serves to not only understand the legal actions, but the political, historical, and social environment surrounding the decisions made. Additionally, this text provides supporting material that explains not only the procedures used by the Court, but also the legal and extralegal avenues to explain and further understand why the Court makes the decisions they make.

These are only a few examples of the force in which this book attempts to penetrate the sometimes mundane field of constitutional law. At the same time, the book also presents intriguing portraits of the “aftermath” of the decision made in particular cases. As an example, in Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the question is answered: “What ever happened to Ernesto Miranda?” This feature allows the natural progression of thought to illuminate the lingering questions that some constitutional texts forget. There is also narrative included as to how certain cases affect the lives of the ordinary citizen. This is an important aspect, as it seeks volumes when you can actually relate a decision to an effect that is felt personally.

Overall this book presents an enormous amount of cases, and yet at the same time, highlights those that are most important in changing the functions of law. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Constitution of the United States in general, and specifically anyone interested in the field of Constitutional Law. Happy reading!