In this Book
- A Constitution for All Times
- Book
- 2013
- Published by: The MIT Press
- Series: Boston Review Books
summary
Pamela S. Karlan is a unique figure in American law. A professor at Stanford Law School and former counsel for the NAACP, she has argued seven cases at the Supreme Court and worked on dozens more as a clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun. In her first book written for a general audience, she examines what happens in American courtrooms -- especially the Supreme Court -- and what it means for our everyday lives and to our national commitments to democracy, justice, and fairness. Through an exploration of current hot-button legal issues -- from voting rights to the death penalty, health care, same-sex marriage, invasive high-tech searches, and gun control -- Karlan makes a sophisticated and resonant case for her vision of the Constitution. At the heart of that vision is the conviction that the Constitution is an evolving document that enables government to solve novel problems and expand the sphere of human freedom. As skeptics charge congressional overreach on such issues as the Affordable Care Act and even voting rights, Karlan pushes back. On individual rights in particular, she believes the Constitution allows Congress to enforce the substance of its amendments. And she calls out the Roberts Court for its disdain for the other branches of government and for its alignment with a conservative agenda.
Table of Contents
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- Introduction
- pp. ix-xvi
- Part I Originalism, Activism, and Constitutional Values
- 1. In the Beginning
- pp. 3-10
- 2. Founding Firearms
- pp. 11-20
- 3. Why Interpretive Methods Matter
- pp. 21-32
- Part II The Supreme Court and the Democratic Process
- 6. The Long Shadow of Bush v. Gore
- pp. 55-64
- 7. The Wages of Watergate
- pp. 65-74
- 8. Me, Inc.
- pp. 75-84
- 9. Votes Behind Bars
- pp. 85-94
- Part III Reasoning Together About Our Rights
- 10. Gideon’s Muted Trumpet
- pp. 97-104
- 11. The Cost of Death
- pp. 105-114
- 12. What’s a Right Without a Remedy?
- pp. 115-122
- 13. When the Umpire Throws the Pitches
- pp. 123-134
- 14. Empty Benches
- pp. 135-144
- 16. It Takes Two
- pp. 153-160
- 17. The Constitution Without the Court
- pp. 161-170
- Epilogue: A Moveable Court
- pp. 171-184
- About the Author
- p. 185
- Other Works in the Series
- pp. 186-187
Additional Information
ISBN
9780262318358
Related ISBN(s)
9780262019897
MARC Record
OCLC
863038741
Pages
208
Launched on MUSE
2014-03-10
Language
English
Open Access
No