United States Constitution Day

The Constitution is not so simple that it explains itself--nor so complex that only experts can understand it. In this accessible, nonpartisan quick reference, historian Andrew Arnold provides concise explanations of the Constitution's meaning and history, offering little-known facts and anecdotes about every article and all twenty-seven amendments. This handy guide won't tell you what the Constitution ought to say, nor what it ought to mean. It will tell you what the Constitution says and what it has meant. A Pocket Guide to the US Constitution presents a straightforward way to understand the American Constitutional system. Without wading through lengthy legal prose, heavy historical analysis, or polemical diatribes, you can easily find out what the emoluments clause means, learn about gerrymandering and separation of powers, or read a brief background on why slaves in colonial America were considered 3/5 of a person. Small enough to put in your pocket, backpack, or briefcase, A Pocket Guide to the US Constitution can be used to comprehend current events, dig deeper into court cases, or sort out your own opinions on constitutional issues.

This concise, accessible text provides students with a history of American constitutional development in the context of political, economic, and social change. Constitutional historian Michael Benedict stresses the role that the American people have played over time in defining the powers of government and the rights of individuals and minorities. He covers important trends and events in U.S. constitutional history, encompassing key Supreme Court and lower-court cases. The volume begins by discussing the English and colonial origins of American constitutionalism. Following an analysis of the American Revolution's meaning to constitutional history, the text traces the Constitution's evolution from the Early Republic to the present day. This fourth edition is updated to include the 2016 election, the Trump administration, the 2020 election, and the first activities of the Biden administration.

Learn how the U.S. Constitution established the American government and what this document means for modern Americans. Additional features to aid comprehension include fact-filled captions and sidebars, detailed photographs, informational diagrams, a table of contents, a phonetic glossary, sources for further research, an index, and an introduction to the author.

Originally published to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States Constitution, The Founders' Constitution is arguably the most important of all resources on the principles of the Framers of the American republic. As the editors explain, the work consists of "extracts from the leading works of political theory, history, law, and constitutional argument on which the Framers and their contemporaries drew and which they themselves produced." The documentary sources and inspirations reach to the early seventeenth century and extend through those Amendments to the Constitution that were adopted by 1835 -- that is, through the end of the era of Chief Justice John Marshall of the United States Supreme Court. This set includes: Volume 1: Major Themes by Ralph Lerner; Volume 2: The Preamble Through Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4; Volume 3: Article 1, Section 8, Clause 5, Through Article 2, Section 1; Volume 4: Article 2, Section 2, Through Article 7; Volume 5: Amendments I Through XII.

What is the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court really allowed to do? This unique and handy guide includes the documents that guide our government, annotated with accessible explanations from one of America's most esteemed constitutional scholars.  In one portable volume, with accessible annotations and modernizing commentary throughout, Richard Beeman presents The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Beeman has created a fascinating apparatus for understanding the most important document in American history--and why it's as central in the America of today as it was in creation of the country. Penguin presents a series of six portable, accessible, and--above all--essential reads from American political history, selected by leading scholars. Series editor Richard Beeman, author of The Penguin Guide to the U.S. Constitution, draws together the great texts of American civic life to create a timely and informative mini-library of perennially vital issues. Whether readers are encountering these classic writings for the first time, or brushing up in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, these slim volumes will serve as a powerful and illuminating resource for scholars, students, and civic-minded citizens.

In 1987, E.L. Doctorow celebrated the Constitution's bicentennial by reading it. "It is five thousand words long but reads like fifty thousand," he said. Distinguished legal scholar Garrett Epps - himself an award-winning novelist - disagrees. It's about 7,500 words. And Doctorow "missed a good deal of high rhetoric, many literary tropes, and even a trace of, if not wit, at least irony," he writes. Americans may venerate the Constitution, "but all too seldom is it read."In American Epic, Epps takes us through a complete reading of the Constitution - even the "boring" parts - to achieve an appreciation of its power and a holistic understanding of what it says. In this book he seeks not to provide a definitive interpretation, but to listen to the language and ponder its meaning. He draws on four modes of reading: scriptural, legal, lyric, and epic. The Constitution's first three words, for example, sound spiritual - but Epps finds them to be more aspirational than prayer-like. "Prayers are addressed to someone . . . either an earthly king or a divine lord, and great care is taken to name the addressee. . . . This does the reverse. The speaker is 'the people,' the words addressed to the world at large." He turns the Second Amendment into a poem to illuminate its ambiguity. He notices oddities and omissions. The Constitution lays out rules for presidential appointment of officers, for example, but not removal. Should the Senate approve each firing? Can it withdraw its "advice and consent" and force a resignation? And he challenges himself, as seen in his surprising discussion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in light of Article 4, which orders states to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of other states. Wry, original, and surprising, American Epic is a scholarly and literary tour de force.

Unfold Book Jacket for a Full-Color Reproduction of the U.S. Constitution With their book Signing Their Lives Away, Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese introduced readers to the 56 statesmen (and occasional scoundrels!) who signed the Declaration of Independence. Now they've turned their attention to the 39 men who met in the summer of 1787 and put their names to the U.S. Constitution. Signing Their Rights Away chronicles a moment in American history when our elected officials knew how to compromise--and put aside personal gain for the greater good of the nation. These men were just as quirky and flawed as the elected officials we have today: Hugh Williamson believed in aliens, Robert Morris went to prison, Jonathan Dayton stole $18,000 from Congress, and Thomas Mifflin was ruined by alcohol. Yet somehow these imperfect men managed to craft the world's most perfect Constitution. With 39 mini-biographies and a reversible dust jacket that unfolds into a poster of the original document, Signing Their Rights Away offers an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.

Round Table Comics' adaptation of the supreme law of the United States of America, created by the team at Round Table Companies, includes 100% of the original text from the Constitution as well as a narrative to communicate the concepts from one of history's most important documents. Full color illustration throughout combines an entertaining read with the factual accuracy that readers of history expect. Adapted by Nadja Baer (Delivering Happiness: A Round Table Comic, Altucher Confidential: A Round Table Comic), illustrated by Nathan Lueth (Altucher Confidential, Everything's Okay), and overseen by former documentary filmmaker David Cohen, now VP of Round Table. Guidance provided by Dr. Katie Monnin, assistant professor of literacy at the University of North Florida. After releasing a variety of graphic works based on licensed bestselling business and motivational titles, Round Table Companies is turning to the educational market and releasing The Constitution. The full-color work includes the full text of the U.S. Constitution, brought to life by illustrations that examine its creation. Round Table Companies is best known for its line of Round Table Comics, comic adaptations of bestselling business titles like Chris Anderson's The Long Tail, or bestelling motivational titles like Robert Renteria's Mi Barrio (based on From the Barrio to the Board Room). Since 2010 the company has published multiple lines of nonfiction graphic adaptations of books by Tony Hsieh, Marshall Goldsmith, Tom Hopkins, Larry Winget and Chris Anderson. RTC worked with Dr. Katie Monnin, assistant professor of literacy at the University of North Florida, to produce a curriculum guide to supplement the comic book in the classroom. The curriculum guide has been released free of charge.

This book analyzes the structure of our constitutional system of government, providing an overview of the constitutional history of American federalism as it has been developed in decisions of the United States Supreme Court. Federalism: A Reference Guide to the United States Constitution provides a thorough examination of this significant and distinctive part of the U.S. constitutional system, documenting its role in major domestic constitutional controversies in every period of American history. Although the book is organized historically rather than doctrinally, the marked evolutions of important areas of doctrine are addressed over time. These subject areas include the scope of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, the scope of Congress's powers under the Fourteenth and other post-Civil War Amendments, the states' authority to regulate commercial and economic matters when Congress is silent, the principle of the supremacy of federal law and the law of preemption that follows from it, intergovernmental and sovereign immunities, the obligation of state courts to enforce federal law, and the scope of national power to regulate or impose obligations on the states.

The United States Constitution is our country's founding document, providing the framework for our government and judicial system. Explore the goals, intentions, and debates of the framers of the constitution to understand how and why our nation continues to live by and interpret its principles today.

The United States Constitution is a short document, and it is written in general language, which leaves much of the meaning unwritten and open to interpretation. Dig into this important document and watershed in the history of governments! Explore the history, the various clauses, amendments, and interpretations. Understand your rights (and responsibilities)! From the Constitutional Convention to the creation of the Constitution and its eventual ratification, and to the Bill of Rights and the thorny constitutional issues of today, The Constitution Explained: A Guide for Every American covers the history, our founding fathers' goals, and the varied interpretations of the Constitution that have informed the politics and functioning of the U.S. government. You'll discover ... How the Constitution makes the United States of America different from many countries around the world because it gives us a peaceful mechanism to resolve governmental issues The rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens An in-depth look at the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights "The Miracle at Philadelphia" and "the Great Compromise" The many different methods used to interpret the Constitution Controversial U.S. Supreme Court picks throughout history and how the size and tenure of the Supreme Court justices has long been a contentious issue The remarkable evolution of death penalty jurisprudence The "Bill" Process, Pardon Power, Power of Judicial Review, and other stated and implied powers found in Articles I (Congress), II (Presidency) and III (Judicial) And much, much more! A guide to the citizenship and the American government, The Constitution Explained sheds a light on the differing and changing interpretations of the many broadly worded key phrases in the Constitution. You'll learn how the Constitution has been adopted to different times and various situations. You'll learn what it does--and does not--promise U.S. citizens. Richly illustrated, it also has a helpful bibliography, glossary, and extensive index. This invaluable resource is designed to help you understand the power and strength of the U.S. Constitution!