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Constitutional Law for a Changing America
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Constitutional Law for a Changing America
Institutional Powers and Constraints

Eleventh Edition


April 2022 | 736 pages | CQ Press
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. The Eleventh Edition of Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints draws on political science as well as legal studies to analyze and excerpt landmark cases, including key opinions handed down through 2021.

This book is ideal for Constitutional Law courses in the two-semester sequence that covers powers and constraints. For courses that cover both rights and liberties and the separation of powers in one semester, see Constitutional Law for a Changing America: A Short Course.
 


 
PART I • THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
 
CHAPTER 1 • Understanding the U.S. Supreme Court
 
PART II • INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY
 
CHAPTER 2 • The Judiciary
 
CHAPTER 3 • The Legislature
 
CHAPTER 4 • The Executive
 
CHAPTER 5 • Interbranch Interactions
 
PART III • NATION-STATE RELATIONS
 
CHAPTER 6 • Federalism
 
CHAPTER 7 • The Commerce Power
 
CHAPTER 8 • The Power to Tax and Spend
 
PART IV • ECONOMIC LIBERTIES
 
CHAPTER 9 • The Contract Clause
 
CHAPTER 10 • Economic Substantive Due Process
 
CHAPTER 11 • The Takings Clause

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
Online resources included with this text

The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.

Case Archive
http://edge.sagepub.com/epsteinpowers11e

The authors have excerpted each case in the same format as those in the text, featuring the justices’ votes, a summary of case facts, and a carefully edited version of the justices' opinions.

For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.



 

The approach of the authors fits well with a political science course on Constitutional Law. Specifically I like the focus on the historic development of doctrine, the attention paid to political events beyond the Court and the change in Court personnel over time as influences on case results.

Dr Andrew Bryan Dzeguze
Politics and International Affairs, Northern Arizona University
October 28, 2022
Key features
  • Moves beyond traditional casebooks, this book combines the lessons of the legal model with the influences of the political process. This book includes information on the Supreme Court’s decision-making process, the structure of the federal judiciary, and briefing court cases.
  • Delineates between commentary and opinion excerpts by providing a “Facts” and “Arguments” section before every case.
  • Emphasizes the arguments raised by lawyers and interest groups and the politics surrounding litigation. The authors incorporate tables and figures on Court trends and other materials that bring out the rich legal, social, historical, economic, and political contexts in which the Court reaches its decisions.
  • Demonstrates to students that Supreme Court cases involve real people engaged in real disputes by incorporating descriptions around the events that lead to the suits, including photographs of the litigants, relevant exhibits from the cases, and even the fate of particular litigants in the “Aftermath” boxes.
  • “Global Perspectives” boxes broaden students’ perspectives on the U.S. legal system by allowing them to compare and contrast U.S. Supreme Court decisions with policies developed in other countries.
  •  This book is ideal for Constitutional Law courses in the two-semester sequence that covers powers and constraints. For courses that cover both rights and liberties and the separation of powers in one semester, see Constitutional Law for a Changing America: A Short Course.
NEW TO THIS EDITION: 

Excerpts of recent Supreme Court decisions help students understand how these decisions have made fundamental changes in areas such as presidential power, separation of powers, and federalism. 
 
 

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