Synopses & Reviews
From war powers to health care, freedom of speech to gun ownership, religious liberty to abortion, practically every aspect of American life is shaped by the Constitution. This vital document, along with its history of political and judicial interpretation, governs our individual lives and the life of our nation. Yet most of us know surprisingly little about the Constitution itself, and are woefully unprepared to think for ourselves about recent developments in its long and storied history.
The Constitution: An Introduction is the definitive modern primer on the US Constitution. Michael Stokes Paulsen, one of the nations most provocative and accomplished scholars of the Constitution, and his son Luke Paulsen, a gifted young writer and lay scholar, have combined to write a lively introduction to the supreme law of the United States, covering the Constitutions history and meaning in clear, accessible terms.
Beginning with the Constitutions birth in 1787, Paulsen and Paulsen offer a grand tour of its provisions, principles, and interpretation, introducing readers to the characters and controversies that have shaped the Constitution in the 200-plus years since its creation. Along the way, the authors provide correctives to the shallow myths and partial truths that pervade so much popular treatment of the Constitution, from school textbooks to media accounts of todays controversies, and offer powerful insights into the Constitutions true meaning.
A lucid and engaging guide, The Constitution: An Introduction provides readers with the tools to think critically and independently about constitutional issuesa skill that is ever more essential to the continued flourishing of American democracy.
Review
This impressive book by the father-son duo of Michael Stokes Paulsen and Luke Paulsen
is in its own way an eloquent testament to the Constitution as a covenant across generations. The Paulsens provide a lively and informed overview of how the Constitution has played out over our nation's history. They take positions -- often firmly, sometimes less so -- on a host of constitutional cases and questions. But [they] seek to spur conversations about the Constitution, not to end them.”
National Review
A solid, intelligent, reliable, and interesting look at the origins of the Constitution, its basic structure, and its interpretation over the course of our countrys history. The Paulsens book does not tell Americans what to think, but it provides invaluable help as they think for themselves.”
Justice Samuel Alito, Engage
Short but layered. [The Constitution] displays a professors insights and a recent college graduates sense for the lay readers needs. It tells good stories at a fast clip in limpid prose
the books greatest achievement is preternaturally good discretion in distilling hundreds of cases and copious scholarship and centuries of good stories to tell. [This] isnt just our Constitutions best short introduction; it might help make our civic culture at once more sober and more hopeful.”
First Things
A clear, concise reader-friendly book.... A fascinating journey through American history.”
Roanoke Times
A highly accessible and scholarly but lively look at the nations guiding document.”
Booklist
A sharp, efficient guide to the creation, content, and construction of the supreme law of the land. A well-conceived, well-executed primer.”
Kirkus Reviews
This readable history of the Constitution as it has evolved over more than two centuries corrects many false beliefs about that document and its applicability to every corner of American life. Written in a style that makes it accessible to readers at several levels, this book tells the human story of the ways in which the world's oldest written constitution has shaped our experience.”
James M. McPherson, Professor of History Emeritus, Princeton University, and Pulitzer Prizewinning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
The Constitution: An Introduction is packed both with essential information and discerning analysis. More than that, it reads like a novel-adventure story. It will make a great text in any number of classes.”
Stanley Fish, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Yeshiva University
Michael and Luke Paulsen have written the most readable and insightful introduction to the U.S. Constitution since the days of Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, in 1840. This book is a must read for anyone trying to learn about the U.S. Constitution.”
Steven G. Calabresi, Clayton and Henry Barber Professor of Law, Northwestern University
A splendid introduction to the Constitutionone that takes the text of our nations charter seriously and provides illuminating explanations of why its drafters chose the principles, concepts, and language they did for their great experiment in republican government and ordered liberty. The Constitution: An Introduction strips away the layers of interpretation that obscure the Constitutions meaning, enabling readers to encounter the Constitution itself.”
Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University
This wonderful work is the best introduction to the United States Constitution available. It does a brilliant job reviewing two-and-one-quarter centuries of American experience. Essential reading for those who still believe in ordered liberty and self-government.”
Stephen B. Presser, Raoul Berger Professor of Legal History, Northwestern University, and author of Recapturing the Constitution
This is a unique and uniquely valuable book. The Paulsens weave historical context, doctrinal reflection, and personal stories into a narrative that explains how the Constitution has become what it is in twenty-first century America. In doing so, the book appeals both to legal scholars and to a popular audience that often struggles to make sense of the constitutional battles of our day. This is the one book that I recommend to anyone who wants a comprehensive and enjoyable overview of the Constitution, what it means, and why it matters.”
John Copeland Nagle, John N. Matthews Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame
Michael Paulsen is one of the most brilliant, respected constitutional scholars of our era. His son, Luke, matches him stride for stride, as a serious lay student of the Constitution and its history. Together, they have produced a truly spectacular bookperhaps the best, single-volume treatment of the Constitution ever written.”
Guy-Uriel Charles, Charles S. Rhyne Professor of Law, Duke University
Synopsis
From healthcare to gun ownership, marriage to abortion, free speech to surveillance, every aspect of American life is shaped by the Constitution. Yet most of us know surprisingly little about the Constitutions contents and meaning, and thus are woefully unprepared to interpret it for ourselves.
In The Constitution, legal scholar Michael Stokes Paulsen and his son Luke provide a clear, accessible introduction to the history and interpretation of this vital document. Beginning with the Constitutions birth in 1787, they offer a grand tour of the characters and controversies that have shaped the text itself. In so doing, they provide readers with the tools they need to think critically and independently about constitutional issuesa skill that, Paulsen and Paulsen show, is ever more essential to the continued flourishing of American democracy.
About the Author
Michael Stokes Paulsen is Distinguished University Chair and Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Luke Paulsen is a graduate of Princeton University. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Table of Contents
Part I: The Written Constitution1. Upheaval
The Revolutionary Creation of the US Constitution
2. Superstructure
The Framers Grand Design
3. Powers
The Sweeping Powers of Congress, the President, and the Courts
4. Slavery
The Constitutions Collusion with Evil
5. Freedoms
The Enactment and Meaning of the Bill of Rights
Part II: Living the Constitution
6. Infancy
Defining Controversies in the Constitutions Early Years (1790–1860)
7. Crisis
Lincoln, the Civil War, and Reconstruction (1860–1876)
8. Betrayal
The Supreme Courts Abandonment of the Constitution (1876–1936)
9. Restoration
The Constitution Through Depression, World War, and Segregation (1936–1960)
10. Controversy
The Modern Era of Judicial Activism (1960–2015)
Coda: Lessons for the Twenty-First Century