Download or read book The Bill of Rights written by Carol Berkin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-05-05 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Narrative, celebratory history at its purest” (Publishers Weekly)—the real story of how the Bill of Rights came to be: a vivid account of political strategy, big egos, and the partisan interests that set the terms of the ongoing contest between the federal government and the states. Those who argue that the Bill of Rights reflects the founding fathers’ “original intent” are wrong. The Bill of Rights was actually a brilliant political act executed by James Madison to preserve the Constitution, the federal government, and the latter’s authority over the states. In the skilled hands of award-winning historian Carol Berkin, the story of the founders’ fight over the Bill of Rights comes alive in a drama full of partisanship, clashing egos, and cunning manipulation. In 1789, the nation faced a great divide around a question still unanswered today: should broad power and authority reside in the federal government or should it reside in state governments? The Bill of Rights, from protecting religious freedom to the people’s right to bear arms, was a political ploy first and a matter of principle second. The truth of how and why Madison came to devise this plan, the debates it caused in the Congress, and its ultimate success is more engrossing than any of the myths that shroud our national beginnings. The debate over the Bill of Rights still continues through many Supreme Court decisions. By pulling back the curtain on the short-sighted and self-interested intentions of the founding fathers, Berkin reveals the anxiety many felt that the new federal government might not survive—and shows that the true “original intent” of the Bill of Rights was simply to oppose the Antifederalists who hoped to diminish the government’s powers. This book is “a highly readable American history lesson that provides a deeper understanding of the Bill of Rights, the fears that generated it, and the miracle of the amendments” (Kirkus Reviews).
Download or read book The Bill of Rights It Can t Be Wrong written by Carole Marsh and published by Gallopade International. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 22-book American Milestone series is featured as "Retailers Recommended Fabulous Products" in the August 2012 edition of Educational Dealer magazine. As the first tulips sprung from the ground in March of 1789, the First congress of the United States assembled and began to realize a set of Amendments to the Constitution. In this book, kids will sweat through another summer-powdered wigs as they watch the delegates practice their art of cooperative statesmanship and compromise. They'll be there in September as Congress proposes their Amendments to the states. Two years later, in mid-December, kids will hip-hip-hooray with joy when the States give all U.S. citizens an early Christmas present - as they ratify the Bill of Rights. This educational book includes: A Timeline of Events Why the Bill of Rights? The Amendment Process The Preamble to the Bill of Rights The First through Tenth Amendments Bill of Rights Trivia Glossary And much more! This fun-fill activity book includes: Answer the Questions Matching Unscramble the Code True or False Questions Fill in the Blanks And much more!
Download or read book How Rights Went Wrong written by Jamal Greene and published by Houghton Mifflin. This book was released on 2021 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An eminent constitutional scholar reveals how our approach to rights is dividing America, and shows how we can build a better system of justice.
Download or read book Our Undemocratic Constitution written by Sanford Levinson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Levinson here argues that too many of our Constitution's provisions promote either unjust or ineffective government. Under the existing blueprint, we can neither rid ourselves of incompetent presidents nor assure continuity of government following catastrophic attacks. Worse, our Constitution is the most difficult to amend or update in the world. Levinson boldly challenges the Americans to undertake a long overdue public discussion on how they might best reform this most hallowed document and construct a constitution adequate to our democratic values.
Download or read book Wrong and Dangerous written by Garrett Epps and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2012-09-16 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The primary purpose of the United States Constitution is to limit Congress. There is no separation of church and state. The Second Amendment allows citizens to threaten the government. These are just a few of the myths about our constitution peddled by the Far Right—a toxic coalition of Fox News talking heads, radio hosts, angry “patriot” groups, and power-hungry Tea Party politicians. Well-funded, loud, and unscrupulous, they are trying to do to America’s founding document what they have done to global warming and evolution—wipe out the facts and substitute partisan myth. In the process, they seek to cripple the right of We the People to govern ourselves. In Wrong and Dangerous, legal scholar Garrett Epps provides the tools needed to fight back against the flood of constitutional nonsense. In terms every citizen can understand, he tackles ten of the most prevalent myths, providing a clear grasp of the Constitution and the government it established.
Download or read book The Bill of Rights written by Linda R. Monk and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2018-04-10 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a foreword by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court. An Engaging, Accessible Guide to the Bill of Rights for Everyday Citizens. In The Bill of Rights: A User's Guide, award-winning author and constitutional scholar Linda R. Monk explores the remarkable history of the Bill of Rights amendment by amendment, the Supreme Court's interpretation of each right, and the power of citizens to enforce those rights. Stories of the ordinary people who made the Bill of Rights come alive are featured throughout. These include Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi sharecropper who became a national civil rights leader; Clarence Earl Gideon, a prisoner whose handwritten petition to the Supreme Court expanded the right to counsel; Mary Beth Tinker, a 13-year-old whose protest of the Vietnam War established free speech rights for students; Michael Hardwick, a bartender who fought for privacy after police entered his bedroom unlawfully; Suzette Kelo, a nurse who opposed the city's takeover of her working-class neighborhood; and Simon Tam, a millennial whose 10-year trademark battle for his band "The Slants" ended in a unanimous Supreme Court victory. Such people prove that, in the words of Judge Learned Hand, "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court, can save it." Exploring the history, scope, and meaning of the first ten amendments-as well as the Fourteenth Amendment, which nationalized them and extended new rights of equality to all-The Bill of Rights: A User's Guide is a powerful examination of the values that define American life and the tools that every citizen needs.
Download or read book Bill of Rights written by James Madison and published by Books of American Wisdom. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Printed in two colors, this leatherette edition is a guide to the first ten amendments of the U.S.
Download or read book The Bill of Rights Primer written by Akhil Reed Amar and published by Skyhorse. This book was released on 2013-07-01 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Americans reference the Bill of Rights, a document that represents many of the freedoms that define the United States. Who doesn’t know about the First Amendment’s freedom of religion or Second Amendment’s right to bear arms? In this pocket-sized volume, Akhil Reed Amar and Les Adams offer a wealth of knowledge about the Bill of Rights that goes beyond a basic understanding. The Bill of Rights Primer is an authoritative guide to all American freedoms. Uncluttered and well-organized, this text is perfect for those who want to study up on the Bill of Rights without needing a law degree to do so. This elementary guidebook presents a short historical survey of the people, events, decrees, legislation, writings, and cultural milestones, in England and the American colonies, that influenced the Founding Fathers as they drafted the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. With helpful comments and fun facts in the margins, the book will provide a deeper understanding of the Bill of Rights, exhibiting that it is not a stagnant document but one with an evolving meaning shaped by historical events, such as the American Civil War and Reconstruction.
Download or read book The Federalist Papers written by Alexander Hamilton and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2018-08-20 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classic Books Library presents this brand new edition of “The Federalist Papers”, a collection of separate essays and articles compiled in 1788 by Alexander Hamilton. Following the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, the governing doctrines and policies of the States lacked cohesion. “The Federalist”, as it was previously known, was constructed by American statesman Alexander Hamilton, and was intended to catalyse the ratification of the United States Constitution. Hamilton recruited fellow statesmen James Madison Jr., and John Jay to write papers for the compendium, and the three are known as some of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Alexander Hamilton (c. 1755–1804) was an American lawyer, journalist and highly influential government official. He also served as a Senior Officer in the Army between 1799-1800 and founded the Federalist Party, the system that governed the nation’s finances. His contributions to the Constitution and leadership made a significant and lasting impact on the early development of the nation of the United States.
Download or read book The Freedom to Read written by American Library Association and published by . This book was released on 1953 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Bill of Rights written by Carole Marsh and published by Gallopade International. This book was released on 2004-11-01 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the U.S. Constitution set forth the foundation of America's government, the rights of the citizens needed to be addressed. In March of 1789, the First Congress of the United States assembled and began to realize a set of Amendments to the Constitution. In September of that year, Congress proposed those Amendments to the states, and in mid-December, the states ratified the Bill of Rights. This book will walk kids through the Amendments and the trials-by-fire the Amendments faced.
Download or read book The Bill of Rights written by Ruth Bjorklund and published by Children's Press(r. This book was released on 2019-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the rights we consider most important to the United States -- from freedom of speech to a fair trial -- are in the Bill of Rights. A True Book: Why it Matters series introduces young readers to the branches of the US government, the constitution and more, while engaging them to become productive citizens. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study. Readers will learn how these important laws came to be and how people continue to discuss and debate them even today.
Download or read book The Right to Privacy written by Louis Dembitz Brandeis and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2023-09-17 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the heart of 'The Right to Privacy' lies an exploration of the increasingly blurred line between the private and the public, a theme that resonates as much today as at its inception. This collection, curated with a keen eye for diversity in perspective and style, traverses the complex landscape of privacy rights in the modern world. The anthology stands out for its rigorous examination of the legal, ethical, and societal dimensions of privacy, weaving together landmark cases, pivotal essays, and critical analyses to offer a multifaceted view of privacy's evolving definition and its implications. The inclusion of foundational works such as the seminal essay by Louis Brandeis and Samuel D. Warren highlights the depth and historical significance of the discourse presented. The editors and contributors, hailing from a broad spectrum of backgrounds in law, ethics, and technology, collectively underscore the anthology's thematic coherence. Their disparate vantage points, rooted in different eras and engaging with varying aspects of privacy, illuminate the rich tapestry of legal thought and ethical considerations. This convergence of historical and contemporary views underlines the collection's alignment with significant cultural and legal shifts, reflecting society's ongoing struggle to balance personal privacy with public interest. 'The Right to Privacy' is indispensable for readers seeking to navigate the intricate and often contentious terrain of privacy rights. It promises an enlightening journey through the kaleidoscope of opinions and analyses, offering valuable insights and fostering a deeper understanding of what it means to protect personal boundaries in an increasingly open world. This anthology is a must-read for anyone invested in the pivotal debates surrounding privacy, beckoning with the allure of a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Download or read book How Constitutional Rights Matter written by Adam Chilton and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does constitutionalizing rights improve respect for those rights in practice? Drawing on statistical analyses, survey experiments, and case studies from around the world, this book argues that enforcing constitutional rights is not easy, but that some rights are harder to repress than others. First, enshrining rights in constitutions does not automatically ensure that those rights will be respected. For rights to matter, rights violations need to be politically costly. But this is difficult to accomplish for unconnected groups of citizens. Second, some rights are easier to enforce than others, especially those with natural constituencies that can mobilize for their enforcement. This is the case for rights that are practiced by and within organizations, such as the rights to religious freedom, to unionize, and to form political parties. Because religious groups, trade unions and parties are highly organized, they are well-equipped to use the constitution to resist rights violations. As a result, these rights are systematically associated with better practices. By contrast, rights that are practiced on an individual basis, such as free speech or the prohibition of torture, often lack natural constituencies to enforce them, which makes it easier for governments to violate these rights. Third, even highly organized groups armed with the constitution may not be able to stop governments dedicated to rights-repression. When constitutional rights are enforced by dedicated organizations, they are thus best understood as speed bumps that slow down attempts at repression. An important contribution to comparative constitutional law, this book provides a comprehensive picture of the spread of constitutional rights, and their enforcement, around the world.
Download or read book A Kids Guide to America s Bill of Rights written by Kathleen Krull and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Which 462 words are so important that they've changed the course of American history more than once? The Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the crucial document that spells out how the United States is to be governed. Packed with anecdotes, sidebars, case studies, suggestions for further reading, and humorous illustrations, Kathleen Krull's introduction to the Bill of Rights brings an important topic vividly to life. Whether you're a middle grader or high schooler or even an adult, and whether you're looking to expand your knowledge or to reearch a report, the format of this "kids' guide" makes the information understandable and interesting. Find out what the Bill of Rights is and how it affects your daily life in this fascinating look at the history, significance, and mysteries of these laws that are designed to protect the individual freedoms of Americans—including young people. Some of the questions addressed in this easy-to-follow book: Why did early American founders argue that individuals needed a Bill of Rights to protect them from government? Why is freedom of speech so thrilling and so controversial? What is religious intolerance, and when can it be fatal? What does it really mean to take the Fifth? How does the Bill of Rights affect the rights of kids?
Download or read book An Argument Open to All written by Sanford Levinson and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-24 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In An Argument Open to All, renowned legal scholar Sanford Levinson takes a novel approach to what is perhaps America’s most famous political tract. Rather than concern himself with the authors as historical figures, or how The Federalist helps us understand the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, Levinson examines each essay for the political wisdom it can offer us today. In eighty-five short essays, each keyed to a different essay in The Federalist, he considers such questions as whether present generations can rethink their constitutional arrangements; how much effort we should exert to preserve America’s traditional culture; and whether The Federalist’s arguments even suggest the desirability of world government.
Download or read book Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution written by Kevin Gutzman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-06-11 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Constitution of the United States created a representative republic marked by federalism and the separation of powers. Yet numerous federal judges--led by the Supreme Court--have used the Constitution as a blank check to substitute their own views on hot-button issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and samesex marriage for perfectly constitutional laws enacted by We the People through our elected representatives. Now, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution shows that there is very little relationship between the Constitution as ratified by the thirteen original states more than two centuries ago and the "constitutional law" imposed upon us since then. Instead of the system of state-level decision makers and elected officials the Constitution was intended to create, judges have given us a highly centralized system in which bureaucrats and appointed--not elected--officials make most of the important policies. InThe Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution,Professor Kevin Gutzman explains how the Constitution: Was understood by the founders who wrote it and the people who ratified it. Follows the Supreme Court as it uses the fig leaf of the Constitution to cover its naked usurpation of the rights and powers the Constitution explicitly reserves to the states and to the people. Slid from the Constitution's republican federal government, with its very limited powers, to an unrepublican "judgeocracy" with limitless powers. How the Fourteenth Amendment has been twisted to use the Bill of Rights as a check on state power instead of on federal power, as originally intended. The radical inconsistency between "constitutional law" and the rule of law. Contends that the judges who receive the most attention in history books are celebrated for acting against the Constitution rather than for it. As Professor Gutzman shows, constitutional law is supposed to apply the Constitution's plain meaning to prevent judges, presidents, and congresses from overstepping their authority. If we want to return to the founding fathers' vision of the Republic, if we want the Constitution enforced in the way it was explained to the people at the time of its ratification, then we have to overcome the "received wisdom" about what constitutional law is. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution is an important step in that direction.
