An up-to-date and easy-to-read walk through of how America’s Constitution actually works under the hood
Looking for an easy-to-read and crystal-clear guide to the document that shapes nearly everything about your relationship with the United States and its government? This brand-new, completely reimagined edition of the U.S. Constitution For Dummies explains the ins and outs of Congress, the executive branch, the presidency, and the Supreme Court. It provides legalese-free walkthroughs of how all those pieces fit together and how they affect your rights and responsibilities as an American.
You’ll explore everything from voting rights to the limits of executive power and how American states challenge laws passed by the federal government (and vice versa). You’ll discover how the Constitution influences the political process in the United States and how the nature of your constitutional guarantees and rights as a person are changing.
Inside the book:
- Brand-new discussions of how the First Amendment interacts with social media and emerging technology
- Up-to-the-minute explanations of how presidential power and accountability are affected by the Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential criminal immunity
- Explorations of recent changes in the constitutional treatment of reproductive and maternal healthcare
- In depth explanations of how the Constitution safeguards you, from Miranda warnings, search and seizure rules, legal representation, and trial rights
Perfect for students, citizens, activists, professors, and anyone else with an interest in American governance, politics, law, and society, the U.S. Constitution For Dummies is a straightforward resource that skips the jargon and misinformation and offers accurate, up-to-date, and accessible info.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 1
Part 1: Getting Started with the U.S. Constitution 5
CHAPTER 1: Viewing the U.S. Constitution from a Broader Perspective 7
CHAPTER 2: Getting the Basics of the U.S. Constitution 19
CHAPTER 3: Resolving Key Dilemmas with the U.S. Constitution. 37
CHAPTER 4: Interpreting the Constitution 49
Part 2: Setting Up (and Limiting) National Government Powers 61
CHAPTER 5: Constituting the Legislative Branch 63
CHAPTER 6: Constituting the Executive Branch 75
CHAPTER 7: Constituting the Judicial Branch 89
CHAPTER 8: Seeing How the Government Branches Interact 105
CHAPTER 9: Dividing Power between National and State Officials 117
Part 3: Broadly Protecting Civil Liberties 129
CHAPTER 10: Assuring Freedom of Speech 131
CHAPTER 11: Protecting Freedom from and of Religion 149
CHAPTER 12: Ensuring Equality When Government Makes Distinctions 165
CHAPTER 13: Preventing Arbitrary Loss of Liberty and Property 181
CHAPTER 14: Navigating Intimate Liberty and Privacy Issues 197
Part 4: Protecting Property, Gun Ownership, and Voting Rights 213
CHAPTER 15: Promoting Stability by Safeguarding Specific Interests. 215
CHAPTER 16: Assuring the Right to Keep and Bear Arms 227
CHAPTER 17: Guaranteeing Rights for Election Participants 239
Part 5: Creating a Fair Criminal Justice System 259
CHAPTER 18: Protecting Criminal Suspects and Defendants 261
CHAPTER 19: Checking Government Power to Investigate, Arrest, and Indict 277
CHAPTER 20: Guaranteeing Fair Trials 303
CHAPTER 21: Safeguarding Rights after Judgment 315
Part 6: The Part of Tens 329
CHAPTER 22: Ten Key Dimensions of the Constitution 331
CHAPTER 23: Highlighting Ten (or So) Landmark Cases 335
Index 339
About the Author :
Melissa Mandel is an award-winning prosecutor who has represented the State of California before the United States Supreme Court.
Glenn Smith is an emeritus professor and has taught constitutional law for four decades. He remains active as a visiting lecturer at UCSD and is an expert in statutory interpretation, privacy, free speech, and voter initiatives.
