Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints - Softcover

Epstein, Lee J.; Walker, Thomas G.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1604269626 ISBN 13: 9781604269628

Publisher: CQ Press, 2010

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author:

Lee Epstein is Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. A recipient of 12 grants from the National Science Foundation for her work on law and legal institutions, Epstein has authored or co-authored over 100 articles and essays, as well as 15 books, including The Choices Justices Make (co-authored with Jack Knight), which won the Pritchett Award for the Best Book on Law and Courts and the Lasting Contribution Award for making a “lasting impression on the field of law and courts.” The Constitutional Law for a Changing America series (co-authored with Thomas G. Walker) received the Teaching and Mentoring Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association. Her most recent books are The Behavior of Federal Judges, with William M. Landes and Richard A. Posner, and An Introduction to Empirical Legal Research, with Andrew D. Martin.

Thomas G. Walker is the Goodrich C. White Professor of Political Science at Emory University, where he teaches courses in constitutional law and the judicial process. He is the coauthor of A Court Divided (1988), with Deborah Barrow, which won the V. O. Key, Jr. Award for the best book on southern politics, and the Constitutional Law for a Changing America series, with Lee Epstein. He is also author of Eligible for Execution: The Story of the Daryl Atkins Case (2009).

Review:

A new edition of Institutional Powers and Constraints is welcome news indeed! This deftly edited, reader-friendly casebook is ideal for both students and instructors. --- Judith Baer, Texas A&M University

Institutional Powers and Constraints is a very strong text, which is why I've always come back to it. I used the first edition! You arguably have the two best scholars in the field, but the text's strength goes beyond its authors credentials: the book simply combines the politics of the judiciary with the legal approach that courts must take in dealing with legal argumentation. --- Gregory Casey, University of Missouri

This is the best book available for undergraduate constitutional law classes. It addresses all critical issues through cases and commentary, and I appreciate greatly and use the online case archive. I look forward to using the seventh edition in my class. - --Richard A. Brisbin Jr., West Virginia University

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1604269626
• ISBN 13: 9781604269628
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 776