The Constitution of the United States: A Primer for the People

by David P. Currie

Currie has written a masterful introduction to the Constitution for anyone interested in learning how it works and what it has come to mean. Currie first provides a concise overview of the document's individual articles and amendments and then looks more closely at each of the three branches of the federal government, showing both how the federal and state governments interact and how citizens are protected from governmental abuse.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Paperback

First published June 1, 1988

About the author

David P. Currie was the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, noted for his histories of the Constitution in Congress and the Supreme Court, his casebooks on federal courts and conflict of laws, and his award-winning teaching at the Law School.

Reviews

[Wendelle]

neither a printout of the constitution nor an article-by-article explication. Instead the book examines the continued relevance of the constitution over the thorniest issues, such as equality, judicial review, separation of powers, and the separation of church and state, throughout US history. The book cites key cases raised over these issues that were resolved through careful interpretation of the words and purposes of the constitution. It seems incredible to think that a document codified 240 years ago should reserve the final decision over the organization of contemporary society and over ethically charged matters that inflame current debate, yet the US constitution has served this purpose so successfully that political and societal debates respect a long-unbroken peaceable tradition. The examples in this book attests to the foresight of American founders several times over, and validate hope that the American experiment will survive battery from the Trump era.

[Bauer Evans]

A primer on The Constitution and it’s interpretation today.