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March, 2022 | CQ Press

Constitutional Law for a Changing America

Institutional Powers and Constraints

Eleventh Edition
Lee J. Epstein - USC Gould School of Law
Thomas G. Walker - Emory University, USA
Kevin T. McGuire - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
736 pages | March, 2022 | CQ Press
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ISBN: 9781071822142
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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

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.



 

  • 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.