"We enter here upon a history of conversational traffic between the respective departments of philosophy and law in the old academy of liberalism, where lawyers hear much from philosophers, yes-and philosophers hear from lawyers, too, in what has fruitfully been a both-ways exchange. Our philosophical protagonist is John Rawls. This book comprises a study of the rise and workings, within the Rawlsian political-liberal philosophy, of the idea of a country's higher-legal constitution as a public platform for the justification of political coercion. A study of Rawls on constitutionalism can help us, I believe, in scoping out and managing a cluster of constitutional lawyers' debates-interminable ones, it seems, in the constitutional-democratic precincts of our times-that I will catalogue soon below. But conversely, I believe, those seeking the best and truest readings of Rawls might have something to learn from the controversies of the lawyers. My approach to Rawls has accordingly been that of a critically leavened (while no doubt broadly sympathetic) exegesis, while with the legal-discursive materials I take more of a diagnostic turn. My hope is that a treatment of these two discourses in relation to each other will prove an aid to both political-philosophical and legal-practical reflection"--

John Rawls is widely regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century, and his work has permanently shaped the nature and terms of moral and political philosophy, deploying a robust and specialized vocabulary that reaches beyond philosophy to political science, economics, sociology, and law. This volume is a complete and accessible guide to Rawls' vocabulary, with over 200 alphabetical encyclopaedic entries written by the world's leading Rawls scholars. From 'basic structure' to 'burdened society', from 'Sidgwick' to 'strains of commitment', and from 'Nash point' to 'natural duties', the volume covers the entirety of Rawls' central ideas and terminology, with illuminating detail and careful cross-referencing. It will be an essential resource for students and scholars of Rawls, as well as for other readers in political philosophy, ethics, political science, sociology, international relations and law.

Constitutional politics is the continuing search for equilibrium between the grants of power and the limits placed on that power. The Essentials of the American Constitution examines the five closely integrated components which make up the fundamental law: the Compact, separation of powers, federalism, representation, and the Bill of Rights. It is the interaction between these components that gives the Constitution its dynamism. Landmark decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court involve two or more of these components. This book’s unique approach shows how the components more often than not work together, one assisting another, one explaining another, or one reinforcing another. It gives a firm foundation for students wishing to take advanced courses in constitutional law or civil liberties and provides an overall view of the fundamental principle of the American Constitution.

First published in 1954, this indispensable reference quickly became the gold standard for concise summaries of important U.S. Supreme Court cases. The only reference guide to Supreme Court cases organized both topically and chronologically within chapters so that readers understand how cases fit into a historical context, the 15th edition has been extensively revised to ensure that it remains the most up-to-date resource available. An essential resource for law students, lawyers, and everyone interested in our nation's Constitution and the Supreme Court decisions that explicate it.

Constitutional politics is the continued search for equilibrium between grants of power and the limits placed on that power. Essentials of the American Constitution examines five closely integrated components which make up the fundamental law: the Compact, Separation of Powers, Federalism, Representation, and the Bill of Rights. It is the interaction among these components that give the constitution its dynamism, and landmark decisions handed down by the Supreme Court involve two or more of them.This book's unique approach shows how the components often work together, assisting, explaining, or reinforcing one another. Providing an overview of the fundamental principles of the American Constitution, the author gives a firm foundation for students interested in American Government and Politics, Constitutional Law or Civil Liberties.