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).
Lee Epstein (PhD, Emory University) is the University Professor of Law & Political Science and the Hilliard Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Southern California. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Political and Social Science. A recipient of 12 grants from the National Science Foundation, Epstein has authored or co-authored more than 100 articles and essays and 18 books. She is currently co-editing The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Judicial Behaviour. Professor Epstein’s empirical research is frequently cited in the New York Times, among other news media.
Thomas G. Walker (PhD, University of Kentucky) is the Goodrich C. White Professor Emeritus at Emory University, where he won several teaching awards for his courses on constitutional law and the judicial process. His book A Court Divided, written with Deborah J. Barrow, won the prestigious V. O. Key Award for the best book on Southern politics. He is the author of Eligible for Execution and coauthor of The Supreme Court Compendium: Data, Decisions, and Developments, 7th Edition, with Lee Epstein, Jeffrey A. Segal, and Harold J. Spaeth.
