Harvard law professor Richard H. Fallon introduces non-lawyers to the workings of American constitutional law. He writes about leading constitutional doctrines and issues, including freedom of speech and religion, the guarantee of equal protection, rights to fair procedures, and rights to privacy and sexual autonomy. Fallon describes many of the fascinating cases and personalities that have shaped constitutional law, demonstrating how historical, cultural, and other factors have influenced constitutional adjudication. Furthermore, Fallon argues that the Constitution must serve as a dynamic document that adapts to the changing conditions inherent in human affairs.

The US Constitution is by no means just a fragile nut-brown document left in a nice glass case at the end of some corridor. Fallon (constitutional law, Harvard Law School) focuses on the social impact of the Constitution, and he begins with its original design and describes the theories and processes of judicial review. He examines civil rights including freedom of speech and association, freedom of religion, protection of economic liberties, equal protection, and fundamental rights. He analyzes the separation of powers, elections and political democracy, limits on state power and resulting individual rights, war and emergency, the reach of the Constitution and the enforcement power of Congress. After his very interesting conclusion about the future of constitutional law, he takes that fragile document out of its case and prints it as an appendix, for those amongst us who have misplaced it somewhere.
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"Fallon...here offers what is arguably the best single introduction to modern American constitutional law short of a casebook. Highly recommended." J.R. Vile, Middle Tennessee State University, Choice"This is a superb book. Though written for non-lawyers, the brilliance of The Dynamic Constitution is that everyone from constitutional law professors to those with no training in law can enjoy, understand, and learn from reading it.. I believe that Richard Fallon has produced a successor to Robert McCloskey's classic, The American Supreme Court." Erwin Chemerinsky, University of Southern California Law School HB ISBN (2004) 0-521-84094-5"Fallon's work here offers ascinating insight into the complexities of constitutional law." Kennebec Journal"For each controversial issue that concerns Americans today, Fallon supplies fascinating judicial history." The Victoria Advocate

Harvard law professor Richard H. Fallon introduces non-lawyers to the workings of American Constitutional Law. He writes with clarity and vigor about leading constitutional doctrines and issues, including the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, the guarantee of equal protection, rights to fair procedures, and rights to privacy and sexual autonomy. Along the way, Fallon describes many of the fascinating cases and personalities that have shaped constitutional law. He shows how historical, cultural, and other factors have influenced constitutional ajudication, making clear the dynamic nature of the Constitution.

Richard H. Fallon Jr. is Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School. He earned his B.A. from Yale University, matriculated as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and then took his legal education at the Yale Law School. Widely known for his expertise in constitutional law and the federal courts, Fallon has been a valuable advisor to many organizations and litigants facing constitutional issues. Professor Fallon is also an accomplished educator. He is co-editor of a leading constitutional law case book, and was voted the most outstanding teacher on the Harvard Law School faculty by the 2000 graduating class. Born and raised in Maine, Dick Fallon now lives with his family in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Preface; Prologue: Bush v. Gore; 1. The dynamic constitution; 2. Freedom of speech; 3. Freedom of religion; 4. Protection of economic liberties; 5. Rights to fair procedures; 6. Equal protection of the laws; 7. Fundamental rights; 8. The powers of congress; 9. Executive power; 10. Judicial power; 11. Elections, political democracy and the constitution; 12. Structural limits on state power and resulting individual rights; 13. The constitution in war and emergency; 14. The reach of the constitution and Congress's enforcement power; 15. Conclusion.