Constitutional Rights Sourcebook

by Peter G. Renstrom

Overview

The Constitutional Rights Sourcebook examines fundamental ideas of constitutionalism and American constitutional law through case summaries. The U.S. Supreme Court as an institution is featured and its rulings and rationale are represented throughout the work, beginning with a thorough treatment of the current court and including all the significant rulings since the mid-1980s.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576070611
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/14/1999
Pages:	792
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.69(d)
Age Range:	15 Years

About the Author

Peter G. Renstrom is professor of political science at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI.

Editorial Reviews

Altogether, this is a well-executed introduction to basic constitutional rights. It would be equally appropriate for the reference or general collection in most public and academic libraries.” —American Reference Books Annual

“Recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals.” —Choice

“This book should find a home in a number of library settings, from public libraries serving the general public to academic libraries serving the needs of budding scholars.” —Library Jourbanal

“The Constitutional Rights Sourcebook … is a handy introduction to the Constitution and the rights it protects.” —Against the Grain

“Highly recommended for public libraries, academic libraries, and high school libraries.” —Reference & User Services Quarterly

From the Publisher

Methodically and meticulously, Renstrom, a political science professor and constitutional law scholar, takes the reader through a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the individual rights and civil liberties guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Particular attention is focused on the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment, which together form the bulwark of American liberties and the fountain from which they spring. Renstrom's unique approach is to index rights-based amendments in a user-friendly manner that enables the legal novice to pinpoint analysis and commentary via a process of stepwise refinement from general subtopics within each amendment to specific concepts that address key issues. Each concept is fully developed and discussed at the adversarial level, and the discussion is replete with references and analysis drawn from applicable case law. The evolution of legal concepts is traced from one era to another whenever social and political change beget or warrant judicial reinterpretation, as with the flag-burning controversy of the 1980s. A common theme is the dynamism and fluidity of a body of law that can change to meet the changing needs of an evolving society while still firmly maintaining and even strengthening fundamental rights and liberties. This book should find a home in a number of library settings, from public libraries serving the general public to academic libraries serving the needs of budding scholars.--Philip Young Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Lib., New York Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Explicates the fundamental ideas of constitutionalism in general and American constitutional law in particular. Renstrom (political science, Western Michigan U.) offers about 175 Supreme Court cases arranged in chapters focusing on individual amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Features an introduction that explains how constitutional law and the courts work and reviews the history of the Constitution and Supreme court; recent cases that spotlight important issues; extensive cross-referencing; a "significance" section in each case discussion that ties in historical background and other related cases; and terms related to constitutional law. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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