Rhodes and Jefferson's Constitutional Law: Foundations, Interpretations, and Commentaries
Description
This uniquely structured textbook melds the story of constitutional historical development with modern resulting doctrine. It intersperses foundations chapters throughout the book detailing the development of constitutional law across typical doctrinal categories before thoroughly studying the resulting modern doctrine in detail, with author frameworks and commentaries introducing carefully selected and edited Supreme Court cases and explanatory materials. This structure readily allows professors to shape the materials to suit their specific needs in either one- or two-semester courses.
The book includes four major parts: (1) judicial review, (2) federalism and separation of powers, (3) individual rights, and (4) First Amendment rights. Foundations chapters introduce each part, integrating the relevant constitutional text, historical contextual materials, and the sequenced development of the key precedential cases from the founding era to the 1960s to illustrate the path of American constitutional law. Examining these foundations across broader doctrinal categories establishes the groundwork for students to understand both the interrelationship between the individual doctrines and the trajectory of constitutional law necessary to master modern doctrine.
The doctrinal chapters following each foundations chapter are structured to promote student learning and to augment the foundational chapters through interleaving and spaced repetition. The doctrinal chapters begin with concise author summaries explaining the Supreme Court's framework for that doctrine—employing the cases studied in the foundations chapters to illustrate—before delving into the Supreme Court's modern significant case interpretations. The authors' commentaries and frameworks allow students to broaden and deepen their understanding and to be equipped to apply the concepts to presented fact situations in subsequent reading and in class. The cases are edited less substantially than in some other books, ensuring that the students read sufficient excerpts of the pivotal opinions to comprehend the Court's reasoning.
The book is completely up to date as of July 2025. The text's commentaries and frameworks integrate all the Roberts Court's recent decisions and highlight potential future directions the Court may chart in this time of constitutional transition.
The book includes four major parts: (1) judicial review, (2) federalism and separation of powers, (3) individual rights, and (4) First Amendment rights. Foundations chapters introduce each part, integrating the relevant constitutional text, historical contextual materials, and the sequenced development of the key precedential cases from the founding era to the 1960s to illustrate the path of American constitutional law. Examining these foundations across broader doctrinal categories establishes the groundwork for students to understand both the interrelationship between the individual doctrines and the trajectory of constitutional law necessary to master modern doctrine.
The doctrinal chapters following each foundations chapter are structured to promote student learning and to augment the foundational chapters through interleaving and spaced repetition. The doctrinal chapters begin with concise author summaries explaining the Supreme Court's framework for that doctrine—employing the cases studied in the foundations chapters to illustrate—before delving into the Supreme Court's modern significant case interpretations. The authors' commentaries and frameworks allow students to broaden and deepen their understanding and to be equipped to apply the concepts to presented fact situations in subsequent reading and in class. The cases are edited less substantially than in some other books, ensuring that the students read sufficient excerpts of the pivotal opinions to comprehend the Court's reasoning.
The book is completely up to date as of July 2025. The text's commentaries and frameworks integrate all the Roberts Court's recent decisions and highlight potential future directions the Court may chart in this time of constitutional transition.