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 …
How the Constitution makes the United States of America different from many countries around the world because it gives us a peaceful mechanism to resolve governmental issues
The rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens
An in-depth look at the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights
“The Miracle at Philadelphia” and “the Great Compromise”
The many different methods used to interpret the Constitution
Controversial U.S. Supreme Court picks throughout history and how the size and tenure of the Supreme Court justices has long been a contentious issue
The remarkable evolution of death penalty jurisprudence
The “Bill” Process, Pardon Power, Power of Judicial Review, and other stated and implied powers found in Articles I (Congress), II (Presidency) and III (Judicial)
And much, much more!
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!
David L. Hudson, Jr., JD is an Assistant Professor of Law, teaching
First Amendment Law and Bar Exam Workshop at Belmont University’s
College of Law. For 17 years, he was an attorney and scholar at the
First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Hudson also has
taught classes at Vanderbilt Law School and the Nashville School of
Law, and he served as a senior law clerk for the Tennessee Supreme
Court. In June 2018, the Nashville School of Law awarded him its
Distinguished Faculty Award. He earned his undergraduate degree from
Duke University and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. He is
an author, co-author, or co-editor of more than 40 books, including
Visible Ink Press’s The Handy Law Answer Book, The Handy
Supreme Court Answer Book, and The Handy American History
Answer Book, as well as Let The Students Speak: A History of
the Fight for Free Expression in American Schools and The
Encyclopedia of the First Amendment (co-editor). He writes
regularly for the American Bar Association’s Preview of United
States Supreme Court Cases and
ABA Journal, the First Amendment Watch, and the Free Speech Center.
