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The U.S. Constitution: Explained--Clause by Clause--for Every American Today
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About The U.S. Constitution: Explained--Clause By
Product Description Politicians come and go, but the Constitution stands as the supreme law of the land. Setting forth the workings of our democracy, it is the bedrock document from which we derive our policies on topics as diverse and galvanizing as immigration, gun ownership, voting rights, taxation, policing, civil liberties, and war. In this indispensable edition, acclaimed historian and Constitutional expert Ray Raphael guides us through the origins, impact, and current relevance of the original text and all twenty-seven amendments. Here is the key historical context for issues in the news today—from the Electoral College to Washington gridlock, from peaceful protests to executive power. Thoughtful and nuanced, lively and highly readable, this annotated Constitution is for all of us to read and refer to—the ultimate political fact-checking source for every American. Review “Raphael’s annotations are written with such clarity. Indeed, the kind of clarity we need at this critical moment in our nation’s history.” —Carol Anderson, Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award About the Author Ray Raphael’s ten books on the Founding Era include A People’s History of the American Revolution (2001), Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past (2004), Mr. President: How and Why the Founders Created a Chief Executive (2012), and Constitutional Myths (2013). Having taught at Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods, he is currently developing teaching tools for the Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource) and serving as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Revolution. He lives in Northern California. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. from the Introduction In the United States, the Constitution—not the president, nor any elected leader—reigns supreme. Article VI declares succinctly: “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof,…shall be the supreme Law of the Land.” Americans for more than two centuries have treated the primacy of the Constitution as gospel, and that is no small part of our endurance as a nation. “Regime change” in the United States proceeds peacefully. One president passes the torch to the next, even if the two belong to opposing political parties. Representatives and senators come and go, but the Constitution provides the framework under which they all must govern. Yet the passage of time does present interpretive problems. We have agreed to abide by rules developed in a very different age. If we are to understand the historical Constitution and allow it to guide us today, we need to take account of the differences between then and now. The framers’ concerns were not identical to ours. The Constitution stipulates that Congress has the authority to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal” and “punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high seas,” but we worry more about terrorists on airplanes than pirates on the high seas. How can we balance airport security with privacy concerns? It would be odd to treat the framers as experts in such matters. We might look to basic principles that they espoused, but the devil is in the details and details are markedly absent. Textual interpretation of the Constitution must account for the evolution of language. Article VI guarantees that the federal government will protect against “domestic Violence.” Today the term refers to spousal abuse, but back then it meant civil unrest. Constitutionese is not our native tongue. To grasp the context in which our Constitution was drafted, imagine that it is the spring of 1787. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress depends on the states for funds, but from October 1786 through March 1787, the states have paid a grand total of $663 into the federal treasury. To use a modern idiom, the federal government has shrunk to the size where it can drown in a bathtub. Penniless and powerless, Congress
