The U.S. Constitution : a very short introduction / David J. Bodenhamer.

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2018]

©2018

KF4541 .B635 2018

9780195378320 (paperback)
0195378326 (paperback)

xxiv, 143 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm.

40028126634

(OCoLC)1005871190

"Though the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788, its impact on our lives is as recent as today's news. Claims and counterclaims about the constitutionality of governmental actions are a habit of American politics. This document, which its framers designed to limit power, often has made political conflict inevitable. It also has accommodated and legitimized the political and social changes of a vibrant, powerful democratic nation. A product of history's first modern revolution, the Constitution embraced a new formula for government: it restrained power on behalf of liberty, but it also granted power to promote and protect liberty. The U.S. Constitution: A Very Short Introduction explores the major themes that have shaped American constitutional history: federalism, the balance of powers, property, representation, equality, rights, and security. Informed by the latest scholarship, this book places constitutional history within the context of American political and social history. As our nation's circumstances have changed, so has our Constitution. Today we face serious challenges to the nation's constitutional legacy. Endless wars, a sharply divided electorate, economic inequality, and immigration, along with a host of other issues, have placed demands on government and on society that test our constitutional values. Understanding how the Constitution has evolved will help us adapt its principles to the challenges of our age"--Provided by the publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Online version: Bodenhamer, David J. U.S. Constitution. New York : Oxford University Press, 2018 9780199702961 (DLC) 2017051281

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United States Constitution : a very short introduction

Purchased from the income of the Edith L. Fisch Fund