American Constitutional Law

One of the most widely used constitutional law textbooks is back in a new edition. The only book that develops constitutional law in the comprehensive sense, American Constitutional Law, 5th ed. not only contains the results of court decisions, but also highlights the efforts of legislatures, executives, the states, and the general public. The new edition also covers all new developments in case law, congressional statutes, presidential policies, and initiatives undertaken by states under their own constitutions.

Most constitutional law books focus only on case law and judicial pronouncements, but American Constituional Law illustrates how both judicial and non-judicial forces shape constitutional law. Compared to other texts written by political scientists, this book offers much more in the way of citations to earlier decisions. These citations allow the reader to research areas in greater depth and also highlight the process of trial and error used by the Supreme Court to clarify constitutional principles. Presenting a broad range of cases, rather than merely focusing on landmark cases, allows the reader to understand the development of constitutional law.

Fisher also covers state involvement in constitutional law through examples of how states, by interpreting their own constitutions, may depart from Supreme Court doctrines. Readings include not only court cases, but presidential statements and congressional debates. This is the perfect book for undergraduate political science courses as well as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the development of constitutional law in the United States.

This book is available in both cloth and paperback.