Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 574
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9½
978-1-4422-5991-1 • Hardback • September 2016 • $129.00 • (£99.00)
978-1-4422-5992-8 • Paperback • September 2016 • $84.00 • (£65.00)
978-1-4422-5993-5 • eBook • September 2016 • $79.50 • (£61.00)
Michael Les Benedict is a prominent American historian who taught at Ohio State University from 1970 until his retirement in 2005.
Preface
Introduction:The American Constitution and American Constitutional History - English Origins of American Constitutionalism
- Colonial Origins of American Constitutionalism
- The American Revolution
- Establishing New State and Federal Constitutions
- Constitutional Issues in the Early Republic
- Judicial Review, Nationalism, and State Sovereignty
- Andrew Jackson, Democracy, and “State Rights”
- Slavery and the Constitution
- The Constitution and the Civil War
- Reconstruction and the Constitution
- The Industrial State, Victorian Moralism, Laissez-Faire Constitutionalism, and State Rights
- The Progressive Era
- Liberal versus Conservative Constitutionalism in the 1920s
- The New Deal and the Constitution
- Liberal Constitutionalism
- Liberal Constitutionalism and Equality
- Curbing Presidential Power
- The Revival of Conservative Constitutionalism
- The Supreme Court and Conservative Constitutionalism
- The Erosion of Constitutional Comity
- The Conservative Court, the Constitution and Judicial Supremacy
- Presidentialism and the Security State
- Constitution Wars
Appendix A Articles of ConfederationAppendix B Constitution of the United States
Appendix C Justices of the United States Supreme Court
Appendix D Tables of Cases
Index
"The third edition of Michael Les Benedict’s The Blessings of Liberty is a treasure. Clearly written and easy to understand, the text takes us from the English roots of American constitutionalism to 2016. Taking the approach of the modern constitutional historian, Benedict plunges us into the controversies relevant to the formation and implementation of the Constitution of 1787 and its amendments, providing the necessary political, social, and economic context that accompanied the development of American constitutional law. I wish there were more undergraduate courses in constitutional history, so that more students could read this book. But we could all benefit by reading it."
— Maeva Marcus, Director, Institute for Constitutional History, The New-York Historical Society and The George Washington University Law School
"There is no better introduction to constitutional history than The Blessings of Liberty. Learned, clearly written, up to date on recent scholarship, the book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this crucial subject."
— Eric Foner, Columbia University
"I am astounded by Les Benedict’s ability to compress the story of American constitutional development—which he rightly treats as requiring far more than simply knowledge of Supreme Court decisions—into a relatively short and readable volume (that, in addition, contains extremely helpful bibliographies). I will certainly strongly recommend it to any of my own law students in need of the kind of overview that he so well provides."
— Sanford Levinson, co-author (with Jack Balkin) of Democracy and Dysfunction
What's new in this edition:- Updated discussions of recent events, including the 2000 election, the Tea Party, immigration, the growth of popular constitutionalism, judicial supremacy, and the rise of the prison state
- Analysis of contemporary debates surrounding major cases like Citizens United, the Affordable Care Act, gay marriage, and LGBT rights
- In-depth analysis of the growing divide between the Constitution and its application to public policy
- Updated resources for readers and students, including lists of recently published essential reading