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In Making Sense of the Constitution: A Primer on the Supreme Court and Its Struggle to Apply Our Fundamental Law, Walter Frank tackles in a comprehensive but lively manner subjects rarely treated in one volume.

Aiming at both the general reader and students of political science, law, or history, Frank begins with a brief discussion of the nature of constitutional law and why the Court divides so closely on many issues. He then proceeds to an analysis of the Constitution and subsequent amendments, placing them in their historical context. Next, Frank shifts to the Supreme Court and its decisions, examining, among other things, doctrinal developments, the Court’s decision making processes, how justices interact with each other, and the debate over how the Constitution should be interpreted.

The work concludes with a close analysis of Court decisions in six major areas of continuing controversy, including abortion, affirmative action, and campaign finance.


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Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
  2. pp. c-ii
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  1. Book Title
  2. p. iii
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  1. Copyright
  2. p. iv
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  1. Dedication
  2. pp. v-vi
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-x
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xi-xiv
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  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 1-2
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  1. 1. Some Foundational Ideas
  2. pp. 3-9
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  1. 2. The Constitution and Its Amendments: An Overvi
  2. pp. 10-41
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  1. 3. The Fourteenth Amendment
  2. pp. 42-63
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  1. 4. The Supreme Court in the Constitutional Structure
  2. pp. 64-91
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  1. 5. What the Court Does: The Stuff of Judicial Review
  2. pp. 92-126
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  1. 6. The Federal Judicial System
  2. pp. 127-133
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  1. 7. Life on the Court
  2. pp. 134-143
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  1. 8. The Litigation Process: From Complaint to Supreme Court Opinion
  2. pp. 144-165
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  1. 9. The Toolbox for Judicial Decision Making
  2. pp. 166-188
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  1. 10. Crafting a Constitution
  2. pp. 189-202
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  1. 11. The Court in Action: Contemporary Constitutional Controversies
  2. pp. 203-241
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  1. Conclusion
  2. pp. 242-248
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  1. Appendix 1: Major 5–4 Constitutional Law Decisions, 1869–1999
  2. pp. 249-253
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  1. Appendix 2: Major 5–4 Constitutional Law Decisions, 2000–2011
  2. pp. 254-264
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  1. Notes
  2. pp. 265-284
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  1. Suggestions for Further Reading
  2. pp. 285-290
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 291-312
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  1. Author Biography
  2. p. 313
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  1. Back Cover
  2. p. bc
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