Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

The Constitution : an introduction / Michael Stokes Paulsen and Luke Paulsen.

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group, [2015]Description: xvi, 346 pages : illustrations ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 0465053726 (hbk.)
  • 9780465053728 (hbk.)
Subject(s):
Contents:
Upheaval : The Revolutionary Creation of the U.S. Constitution -- Superstructure : The Framers' Grand Design -- Powers : The Sweeping Powers of Congress, the President, and the Courts -- Slavery : The Constitution's Collusion with Evil -- Freedoms : The Enactment and Meaning of the Bill of Rights -- Infancy : Defining Controversies in the Constitution's Early Years (1790-1860) -- Crisis : Lincoln, the Civil War, and Reconstruction (1860-1876) -- Betrayal : The Supreme Court's Abandonment of the Constitution (1876-1936) -- Restoration : The Constitution through Depression, World War, and Segregation (1936-1960) -- Controversy : The Modern Era of Judicial Activism (1960-2015) -- Coda: Lessons for the Twenty-First Century.
Summary: "In The Constitution, constitutional scholar Michael Stokes Paulsen and his son Luke provide a clear, accessible introduction to the history and meaning of this historic document. Beginning with the Constitution's birth in 1787, Paulsen and Paulsen offer a grand tour of its history and interpretations, introducing readers to the characters and controversies that have shaped this founding instrument in the 200-plus years since its creation. In order to properly judge contemporary readings of the Constitution, Paulsen and Paulsen argue, it is first necessary to understand the origins--and original meaning--of the document's articles and amendments. The Constitution itself has evolved into a more perfect document since its inception, they show, through the addition of amendments abolishing slavery, establishing civil rights, and broadening the right to vote. Yet the officials charged with interpreting the Constitution have often stretched its meaning far beyond its intended boundaries, substituting their own judgments for those of the Constitution's framers and reformers. In order to stay true to this essential American document, the authors argue, it is imperative that we, the people, know the meaning and history of each of the Constitution's components and allow ourselves to be guided by the intentions of its authors--not the opinions and whims of the judges charged with interpreting it. A lucid history of and guide to this foundational American document, The Constitution provides readers with the tools to think critically and independently about constitutional issues--a skill that is ever more essential to the continued flourishing of American democracy"-- Provided by publisher.
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 342.7302 P332 Available 33111008020089
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From war powers to health care, freedom of speech to gun ownership, religious liberty to abortion, practically every aspect of American life is shaped by the Constitution. This vital document, along with its history of political and judicial interpretation, governs our individual lives and the life of our nation. Yet most of us know surprisingly little about the Constitution itself, and are woefully unprepared to think for ourselves about recent developments in its long and storied history.

The Constitution: An Introduction is the definitive modern primer on the US Constitution. Michael Stokes Paulsen, one of the nation's most provocative and accomplished scholars of the Constitution, and his son Luke Paulsen, a gifted young writer and lay scholar, have combined to write a lively introduction to the supreme law of the United States, covering the Constitution's history and meaning in clear, accessible terms.

Beginning with the Constitution's birth in 1787, Paulsen and Paulsen offer a grand tour of its provisions, principles, and interpretation, introducing readers to the characters and controversies that have shaped the Constitution in the 200-plus years since its creation. Along the way, the authors provide correctives to the shallow myths and partial truths that pervade so much popular treatment of the Constitution, from school textbooks to media accounts of today's controversies, and offer powerful insights into the Constitution's true meaning.

A lucid and engaging guide, The Constitution: An Introduction provides readers with the tools to think critically and independently about constitutional issues -- a skill that is ever more essential to the continued flourishing of American democracy.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-333) and index.

Upheaval : The Revolutionary Creation of the U.S. Constitution -- Superstructure : The Framers' Grand Design -- Powers : The Sweeping Powers of Congress, the President, and the Courts -- Slavery : The Constitution's Collusion with Evil -- Freedoms : The Enactment and Meaning of the Bill of Rights -- Infancy : Defining Controversies in the Constitution's Early Years (1790-1860) -- Crisis : Lincoln, the Civil War, and Reconstruction (1860-1876) -- Betrayal : The Supreme Court's Abandonment of the Constitution (1876-1936) -- Restoration : The Constitution through Depression, World War, and Segregation (1936-1960) -- Controversy : The Modern Era of Judicial Activism (1960-2015) -- Coda: Lessons for the Twenty-First Century.

"In The Constitution, constitutional scholar Michael Stokes Paulsen and his son Luke provide a clear, accessible introduction to the history and meaning of this historic document. Beginning with the Constitution's birth in 1787, Paulsen and Paulsen offer a grand tour of its history and interpretations, introducing readers to the characters and controversies that have shaped this founding instrument in the 200-plus years since its creation. In order to properly judge contemporary readings of the Constitution, Paulsen and Paulsen argue, it is first necessary to understand the origins--and original meaning--of the document's articles and amendments. The Constitution itself has evolved into a more perfect document since its inception, they show, through the addition of amendments abolishing slavery, establishing civil rights, and broadening the right to vote. Yet the officials charged with interpreting the Constitution have often stretched its meaning far beyond its intended boundaries, substituting their own judgments for those of the Constitution's framers and reformers. In order to stay true to this essential American document, the authors argue, it is imperative that we, the people, know the meaning and history of each of the Constitution's components and allow ourselves to be guided by the intentions of its authors--not the opinions and whims of the judges charged with interpreting it. A lucid history of and guide to this foundational American document, The Constitution provides readers with the tools to think critically and independently about constitutional issues--a skill that is ever more essential to the continued flourishing of American democracy"-- Provided by publisher.

Powered by Koha