The constitution today : timeless lessons for the issues of our era / Akhil Reed Amar

"A leading legal scholar addresses the most important constitutional controversies of the past two decades and illuminates the Constitution's spirit and ongoing relevance When the stories that lead our daily news involve momentous constitutional questions, present-minded journalists and busy citizens cannot always see the stakes clearly. In The Constitution Today, Akhil Reed Amar, America's preeminent constitutional scholar, considers the biggest and most bitterly contested debates of the last two decades--from gun control to gay marriage, affirmative action to criminal procedure, presidential dynasties to Congressional dysfunction, Bill Clinton's impeachment to Obamacare. He shows how the Constitution's text, history, and structure are a crucial repository of collective wisdom, providing specific rules and grand themes relevant to every organ of the American body politic. Leading readers through the particular constitutional questions at stake in each episode while outlining his abiding views regarding the Constitution's letter, its spirit, and the direction constitutional law must go, Amar offers an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand America's Constitution and its relevance today"-- Provided by publisher

Includes bibliographical references (pages 417-429) and index

The presidency : a return to dynasty? -- The vice presidency : nothing but maybe everything -- The congress : how to fix a broken branch -- The judiciary : who judges the judges? -- Criminal procedure : from O.J. to DNA -- Citizens dis-united : race, guns, gays, and more -- Constitutional anniversaries : remembering to remember -- Bill Clinton's drama : his partisan impeachment -- George W. Bush's drama : his un-popular election -- Barack Obama's drama : his signature statute