Synopses & Reviews
This study examines contemporary questions surrounding the process by which the U.S. Constitution can be amended. Beginning with a description of the mechanism and history of the constitutional amending process in America, the work considers five major questions surrounding the amending process. The question of justiciability: whether the courts should have authority to settle amending issues or whether they are political questions beyond the court's purview. The question of standards: what standards of review should be used. The question of safety: the safety of invoking the constitutional convention mechanism. The question of exclusivity: whether there are legal means of changing the Constitution short of Article V. And the question of limitations: whether there are any unstated constitutional limits on the amending process.
Review
This work is also useful for its synthesis and critical review of the writings and theories of various other scholars and their works. Because of its comprehensive bibliography and wide-range synthesis of related writing, this book will be of particular interest to researchers on the amending process, but it can also be enjoyed by anyone interested in the myriad issues surrounding Article V and its provisions. All levels.Choice, December 1993
Synopsis
A scholarly examination of the mechanisms for, history of, and contemporary issues surrounding the constitutional amending process.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [155]-169) and index.
About the Author
JOHN R. VILE is Professor and Chair in the Department of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University.
Table of Contents
Preface
The Origins and History of the Constitutional Amending Process in America
The Question of Justiciability--Which Branch of Government Should Have the Ultimate Say Over Issues Involving the Amending Process?
The Question of Standards--What Rules Are Most Appropriately Applied to Procedural Issues Surrounding the Amending Process?
The Question of Safety: Are There Adequate Rules and Enforceable Limits on Article V Conventions?
The Question of Exclusivity--Can Any Constitutional Changes Be Adopted Without Using Article V?
The Question of Exclusivity--The Arguments of Akil Reed Amar
The Question of Limitations--Are There Implicit Restraints on the Constitutional Amending Process?
Selected Bibliography
Index