AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, Volumes I and II, combines cases, decisions, and authorial commentary to maximize your learning and understanding in this course. These comprehensive volumes cover the entire range of topics in constitutional law. Volume I examines the institutional aspects of constitutional law; Volume II deals with civil rights and liberties. Each of the chapters includes an introductory essay providing the legal, historical, political, and cultural context of Supreme Court jurisprudence in a particular area of constitutional interpretation. Each chapter also contains several boxed features (labeled "Case in Point" and "Sidebar") to provide additional perspective and context for the set of edited decisions from the United States Supreme Court cases that follow. In selecting, editing, and updating the materials, the authors emphasize recent trends in major areas of constitutional interpretation, as well as many landmark decisions, some of which retain importance as precedents while others illustrate the transient nature of constitutional interpretation. Because the book provides a good balance of decisions and authorial commentary, this text appeals to instructors of law as well as instructors of political science.

Author Biography

Colin Glennon is Assistant Professor of Political Science at East Tennessee State University, where he teaches courses in American government, constitutional law, the judicial process, law and society and American political institutions. Professor Glennon received his PhD from the University of Tennessee in 2011. He has authored or coauthored articles in a number of professional journals. His research interests include American political institutions, judicial politics, public law, federalism in the courts, public policy in the courts, the impact of public opinion on judicial outcomes, judicial public policy, and state court administration. John M. Scheb, II attended the University of Florida, where he received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in political science. He is now Professor and Head of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he specializes in public law, courts, and the judicial process. Professor Scheb has authored numerous articles in professional journals and is coauthor of several other textbooks, including: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM, 3rd Edition (Wolters Kluwer, 2013), LAW AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS (Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005), and AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, 6th Edition (Wadsworth/Cengage, 2014). Otis H. Stephens, Jr. is Alumni Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science and Resident Scholar of Constitutional Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Professor Stephens holds a Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee. Professor Stephens is the author of THE SUPREME COURT AND CONFESSIONS OF GUILT(1973) and co-author, with Gregory J. Rathjen, of THE SUPREME COURT AND THEALLOCATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL POWER (1980) and, with John M. Scheb II, of AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: ESSAYS AND CASES (1988). He is co-author with Richard A. Glenn of UNREASONABLE SEARCHES AND SEIZURES: RIGHTS ANDLIBERTIES UNDER THE LAW (2006). He is co-editor with John M. Scheb II and Kara A. Stookesbury of ENCYLCOPEDIA OF AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIESVOLUMES I-III (2006). He has contributed chapters to COMPARATIVE HUMANRIGHTS, ed. Richard A. Claude (1976) and THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION ANDHUMAN RIGHTS, ed. Tinsely E. Yarborugh (1985) and AMERICAN NATIONALSECURITY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES IN AN ERA OF TERRORISM, eds. David B. Cohen and John W. Wells (2004) and to LAW TOUCHED OUR HEARTS: A GENERATIONREMEMBERS BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION, eds. Mildred Wigfall Robinson and Richard J. Bonnie (2009). He has also authored or co-authored a number of articles in professional journals, including the GEORGETOWN LAW JOURNAL, the JOURNALOF PUBLIC LAW, the TENNESSEE LAW REVIEW, the WIDNER JOURNAL OF PUBLICLAW, the SOUTHEASTERN POLITICAL REVIEW, and the CRIMINAL LAW BULLETIN. Dr. Stephens is also a member of the Tennessee Bar and of the United States Supreme Court Bar. Professor Stephens now teaches full time for the UT College of Law. PUBLIC LAW, the TENNESSEE LAW REVIEW, the WIDNER JOURNAL OFPUBLIC LAW, the SOUTHEASTERN POLITICAL REVIEW, and the CRIMINAL LAWBULLETIN. Dr. Stephens is also a member of the Tennessee Bar. Professor Stephens now teaches full time for the UT College of Law.