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The United States Constitution is a short document, and it is written in general language, which leaves much of the meaning unwritten and open to interpretation. Dig into this important document and watershed in the history of governments!
Explore the history, the various clauses, amendments, and interpretations. Understand your rights (and responsibilities)! From the Constitutional Convention to the creation of the Constitution and its eventual ratification, and to the Bill of Rights and the thorny constitutional issues of today The Constitution Explained: A Guide for Every American covers the history, our founding fathers’ goals, and the varied interpretations of the Constitution that have informed the politics and functioning of the U.S. government. You’ll discover …
Aguide to the citizenship and the American government, The Constitution Explained sheds a light on the differing and changing interpretations of the many broadly worded key phrases in the Constitution. You’ll learn how the Constitution has been adopted to different times and various situations. You’ll learn what it does—and does not—promise U.S. citizens. Richly illustrated, it also has a helpful bibliography, glossary, and extensive index. This invaluable resource is designed to help you understand the power and strength of the U.S. Constitution!
“It will help non-experts navigate safely amidst the passionate, thorny, and devilishly nuanced debates about its authority with regard to contemporary hot-button issues like gun control, freedom of choice, and the electoral college process. … Constitution Explained merits an enthusiastic recommendation for collections curated for general readership, secondary school students, and college undergraduates.” – Booklist
"The First, Second, and Fifth Amendments are often referred to, but—if social media is any indication—only vaguely understood by most of us. The rest of the Constitution fares mostly worse. To the rescue is this comprehensive, clear work by Hudson, who teaches First Amendment law at Belmont University’s College of Law in Nashville. Beyond the Constitution itself, Hudson addresses related topics, such as methods of interpreting the Constitution, controversial Supreme Court picks, and the composition of the court."—Library Journal
"… an engaging layperson’s primer on the Constitution’s most important aspects—from the preamble to the Bill of Rights to the 14th Amendment. … expert assessments of this country’s foundational document and its effect on history as well as current events. … breaking down what can be an intimidating document [to] help promote civic literacy at a time when an informed citizenry is as important as ever."—ABA Journal
"... the documents our forefathers signed on are everybody’s mind in one way or another these days, ”The Constitution Explained: A Guide for Every American” by David L. Hudson, Jr., J.D. is a book to keep handy this summer. In easy-to-understand terms, this book breaks down every one of the articles in the Constitution, with examples, relevant side-information, and explanations of the small details. It’s a handy reference, but also just plain fun to read, too."—Bookworm Sez
"This guide explains the US Constitution to everyday Americans. After a brief history of its origins and background, the Constitutional Convention, and the ratification, chapters examine each article of the Constitution, its 27 amendments, and continuing constitutional controversies."—Book News
"Focusing on the Constitution’s history, including the Articles of Confederation, the Philadelphia Convention, the Bill of Rights, and selected other amendments … Most recent similar titles are limited to the full text of the founding documents … will interest general readers as well as students of political science, government, and teacher education."—Library Journal
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. Overview, history, and contemporary relevance of the U.S. Constitution
2. Constitutional Law Toolkit, key terms and methods of interpretation
3. The Articles of Confederation
4. The Philadelphia Convention
5. The Ratification Process – Addition of the Bill of Rights
6. Article I and the Powers of Congress
7. Article II and the Powers of the Executive (Presidency)
8. Article III and the Powers of the Judiciary
9. Other Articles – Amending the Constitution
10. First Amendment Freedoms
11. Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms
12. Fourth Amendment
13. Fifth and Sixth Amendments
14. Eighth Amendment and the Death Penalty
15. Fourteenth Amendment: Equal Protection and Due Process
16. Nineteenth Amendment and Amendments Dealing with Voting
17. Amendments Dealing with Presidential Succession
18. Current Constitutional Controversies
Glossary of Terms
Further Reading
Index