This title is the winner of the APSA Law and Courts Section's Teaching and Mentoring Award! Meeting the needs of professors who teach one-term courses -... or for those teaching two terms who wish to assign other readings - this condensed and concise one-volume text spans the breadth of institutional powers and civil rights and liberties. Epstein and Walker emphasize political context - arguments and input from lawyers and interest groups, justices' ideological and behavioral inclinations, elected officials' partisan positions, as well as public opinion - allowing students to see the development of constitutional doctrine within its decidedly political environment. For this new fourth edition, material has been thoroughly updated through the end of the 2007-2008 term of the Supreme Court, with coverage and analysis of presidential signing statements, a survey of how legal principles affect the Court's decision making, and detailed overviews of recent cases, such as Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Gonzales v. Raich, Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council, Kelo v. City of New London, and Van Orden v. Perry. Additionally, Epstein and Walker are including a brand new, concise chapter on the Second Amendment with the recent District of Columbia v. Heller case. Commentary helps students understand context of particular cases, while Aftermath boxes and profiles of influential groups and justices, photographs of litigants, and exhibits from cases enliven the text and enhance learning.

Because political factors influence judicial decisions, Constitutional Law for a Changing America draws on political science as well as legal studies to... excerpt and analyze cases. With meticulous revising and a sharp new interior design, the authors streamline material while accounting for recent landmark cases and new scholarship. Ideal for a one semester course, the Short Course offers all of the hallmarks of the Rights and Powers volumes in a more condensed format. Updates to the fifth edition include: expanded treatment of both legal and social-scientific approaches to the Court s decision-making; a new section on student rights with an excerpt from Morse v. Frederick; increased coverage of hateful and offensive speech with an excerpt from Snyder v. Phelps; a new section on voter identification with an excerpt from Crawford v. Marion County Election Board; updated discussion of campaign reform legislation with an excerpt from the controversial Citizens United v. FEC decision.

In a thorough exploration of the Supreme Court's interpretation of the political power distributed by the Constitution, Epstein and Walker explain and... analyze such essential concepts as separation of powers and federalism, as well as the authority to tax, spend, conduct war, regulate commerce, and limit rights to property and contracts. This revised volume includes both recent and important rulings on limits to federal power, and thoughtfully examines the impact of national emergencies, terrorism, and the war in Iraq on the government's capacity to act in the interests of national security.

With meticulous revising and updating throughout, Epstein and Walker streamline material while accounting for recent landmark cases and new scholarship.... This seventh edition features two important improvements:a completely revamped interior layout and design that clearly delineates between commentary and opinion excerpts while more effectively showcasing photos, Justice biographies, and the Aftermath and Global Perspective sidebars.the case commentary not only details the case Facts, but now also includes an Arguments section that details the attorneys arguments for each side leading to more focused and effective reading of the case. 

Political factors influence judicial decisions. Arguments and input from lawyers and interest groups, the ebb and flow of public opinion, and especially... the ideological and behavioral inclinations of the justices all combine to influence the development of constitutional doctrine. Constitutional Law for a Changing America draws on political science as well as legal studies to analyze and excerpt cases. With meticulous revising and updating throughout, Epstein and Walker streamline material while accounting for recent landmark cases and new scholarship. This seventh edition features two important improvements: - a completely revamped interior layout and design that clearly delineates between commentary and opinion excerpts while more effectively showcasing photos, justice biographies, and the Aftermath and Global Perspective sidebars. - the case commentary not only details the case Facts but now includes an Arguments section that details the attorneys arguments for each side, leading to more focused and effective reading of the case. Cases new to this edition of Rights, Liberties, and Justice include Morse v. Frederick (2007), United States v. Williams (2008), Arizona v. Grant (2009), Safford Unified School District #1 v. Redding (2009), Herring v. United States (2009), Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007), Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education (2007), and Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008).

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE, 2/e offers comprehensive coverage of two traditional constitutional law subjects: governmental powers and... civil liberties. It strives to balance historically significant cases with contemporary problems and includes excerpts of significant cases within the text. Written in a style designed for undergraduates, legal terms are defined in a running glossary and applications assignments appear at the end of each chapter. This edition includes new end-of-chapter exercises, expanded appendices, current case law and features that demonstrate how constitutional law occurs at all levels, branches and areas of the government–not just in the U.S. Supreme Court.

This book serves as a comprehensive guide and reference tool on constitutional law. Expert authors summarize judicial review and its limits, national... legislative powers, state power in American federalism, Congress and the executive power, due process of law, equal protection, freedom of expression and religion, state action, and congressional legislation in civil rights and liberties.

Constitutional Law in Contemporary America is the most up-to-date, carefully edited, and student-friendly undergraduate constitutional law textbook.... Placing a unique emphasis on property rights, election law, and issues of gender, gender orientation, foreign policy, and criminal due process, the two-volume text features:* Skillfully edited excerpts of canonical Supreme Court decisions and lower federal and state court decisions* Historically important auxiliary materials--such as the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, the Declaration of Sentiments, and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution--which help students better understand American constitutional law, politics, and government* Succinct case introductions, timelines, discussion questions, chapter glossaries, and chapter bibliographies* Discussions emphasizing significant contemporary issues (e.g., same-sex marriage, free speech on the Internet, and the war on terrorism)* Topical overviews for each constitutional subject areaIn order to best suit the traditional two-semester constitutional law sequence, the text is conveniently divided into two volumes:* Volume One: Institutions, Politics, and Process presents cases relating to the three branches of the national government. The authors address federalism, the relationship between the citizen and the political process, and those issues of property that have dominated the Supreme Court since its inception nearly two centuries ago. Other topics include: Constitutional and foreign affairs, including case law developed post-9/11; election law and political process cases; the role and power of the federal courts; economic due process; and eminent domain law. * Volume Two: Civil Rights and Liberties covers civil rights and liberties issues including those addressed in the Bill of Rights (as subsequently applied to the states) and in the Reconstruction Amendments. The authors address expressive freedoms such as religion, speech, press, and association, as well as the rights of those accused or convicted of crimes. Other topics include the state action doctrine, equal protection, the Second Amendment and gun rights, the rights of students, the death penalty, privacy, and reproductive rights.

Constitutional Law in Contemporary America is the most up-to-date, carefully edited, and student-friendly undergraduate constitutional law textbook.... Placing a unique emphasis on property rights, election law, and issues of gender, gender orientation, foreign policy, and criminal due process, the two-volume text features:* Skillfully edited excerpts of canonical Supreme Court decisions and lower federal and state court decisions* Historically important auxiliary materials--such as the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, the Declaration of Sentiments, and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution--which help students better understand American constitutional law, politics, and government* Succinct case introductions, timelines, discussion questions, chapter glossaries, and chapter bibliographies* Discussions emphasizing significant contemporary issues (e.g., same-sex marriage, free speech on the Internet, and the war on terrorism)* Topical overviews for each constitutional subject areaIn order to best suit the traditional two-semester constitutional law sequence, the text is conveniently divided into two volumes:* Volume One: Institutions, Politics, and Process presents cases relating to the three branches of the national government. The authors address federalism, the relationship between the citizen and the political process, and those issues of property that have dominated the Supreme Court since its inception nearly two centuries ago. Other topics include: Constitutional and foreign affairs, including case law developed post-9/11; election law and political process cases; the role and power of the federal courts; economic due process; and eminent domain law. * Volume Two: Civil Rights and Liberties covers civil rights and liberties issues including those addressed in the Bill of Rights (as subsequently applied to the states) and in the Reconstruction Amendments. The authors address expressive freedoms such as religion, speech, press, and association, as well as the rights of those accused or convicted of crimes. Other topics include the state action doctrine, equal protection, the Second Amendment and gun rights, the rights of students, the death penalty, privacy, and reproductive rights.