American Constitutional Interpretation

This undergaduate text uses original essays, cases, and materials to study the very enterprise by which a constitution is interpreted and a constitutional government created. It explores the American polity as both a constitutional and democratic entity.

This volume is organized around a set of basic interrogatives: What is the constitution that is to be interpreted? Who are its authoritative interpreters? How do they go about their interpretive tasks? The new edition has been updated to include important new cases decided through the 2012-13 Supreme Court term.