NCJ Number
224984
Date Published
2008
Length
856 pages
Annotation
This textbook addresses the history, structure, and content of the U.S. Constitution.
Abstract
The first chapter provides an overview of the history of the U.S. Constitution, from early steps toward national unity to the ratification of the Constitution by the States. An overview of the structure and content of the Constitution considers the separation of the powers of the national Government, the division of power between the national Government and the States, powers granted to the Federal Government, powers the States are forbidden to exercise, and sovereign powers retained by the States. Separate sections of the chapter address the Bill of Rights, the fourteenth amendment as a limitation on State power, adjudication of constitutional questions, and Federal remedies for constitutional abuses. Nine chapters focus on specific principles, rights, and powers under the U.S. Constitution. They address freedom of speech, the authority to detain and arrest individuals under the threat of force, search and seizure, laws governing police surveillance, interrogations and confessions, compulsory self-incrimination, right to counsel, trial and punishment, and constitutional and civil rights in the government workplace. Part II of the textbook presents judicial decisions and statutes that enhance the student‘s understanding of the materials in Part I. The cases selected are either important as precedents or because of their “typicality.” They interpret constitutional provisions and demonstrate the judicial processes followed when the U.S. Supreme Court or lower Federal courts reach a decision that involves a constitutional question. A CD accompanying the textbook presents the full texts of the cases. A table of cases, a subject index, and appended text of the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and all effective amendments