Customer Reviews

Great Cases in Constitutional Law

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This book is superb. Not only does George compile a list of great names in constitutional law into one book, but also these authors give insight into the most controversial cases of all time. For example, Hadley Arkes's defense of Lochner v. New York is astounding. This book is a must for every intelligent citizen.

I was watching a program on C-SPAN where the Supreme Court's past year was reviewed. I became aware of how shallow my understanding was of some seminal cases like Marbury v Madison, Roe v Wade etc. So I got this book.

The writing style is beautiful and quite succinct. In case after case implications and nuances of the arguments are quite fascinating. I probably would not come down on the side of a strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution but this book certainly shed some light on my thinking.

I am not a lawyer so this review should be taken for what it's worth. However, if you wish to know more about how the Constitution is interpreted using some seminal Case Law this book is for you.

An excellent resource.

Based on a series of lectures given at Princeton University, Great Cases in Constitutional Law analyzes five major Supreme Court Cases: Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott v. Stanford, Lochner v. New York, Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade. The slant of the lectures is clear: the Supreme Court should play less of a role in substantively interpreting the Constitution. Several lectures play devil's advocate: Hadley Arkes defends the notorious Lochner case, while Edward Maltz criticises the hallowed Brown decision. The conservative slant of the book's editor, Princeton Professor Robert P. George, can be seen in the two lectures about abortion. With every other case, one writer generally attacks, while the other defends the Supreme Court's decision. Even with Dred Scott, Prof. James McPhereson notes that the outcome of the decision was not bad--northern anger over the ruling likely prompted the election of Lincoln. But with abortion, both lecturers tear into Roe v. Wade. The quality of both Roe essays, written by Jean Bethke Elshtain and George Will, is surprising low. Both are polemical and disorganized, both wander into the moral and philosophical realms rather than focusing on issues of Constitutional Law. But on the whole, the book represents a fascinating exploration of some of the major Supreme Court cases in US history.

This is the type of text that all Americans should read
Not that there is anything earth shatterning here
but the lay reader is introduced to the basics of debate
concerning the Supreme court and Constitutional Law.
The Constitution is ours "We the People" not the lawyers'.
Read this book and reclaim it.