American Constitutional Law, Vol. 2: Power and Politics

by Gregg Ivers

American Constitutional Law is a two-volume set that goes beyond a simple description of legal rules to examine the social and political aspects of the litigation process and how it impacts constitutional decision-making. Volume I explores the relationship between law and politics by emphasizing the real-world impact of the Court's opinion on the operation of United States political institutions, while

Chapters begin with a vignette that illustrates a real-world example of the impact of Supreme Court decisions and end with a suggested reading list. The cases are introduced with headnotes that briefly describe the facts, the people involved, and the final vote by the justices.

Volume I

Describes the authority held by the different branches of government and the distribution of power between the national government and the states. Covers topics such as separation of powers, federalism, congressional and state commerce power, and the protection of private property and ownership rights. Volume II

Explains the evolution of civil rights and liberties in the United States, including freedom of speech and religion, the rights of the accused, the right to privacy, the right to equal protection under the law, and more.

832 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2001