Table of Cases . . ix
Table of Legislation . . xv
Introduction . . 1

1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF THE US CONSTITUTION . . 9
From the Revolution to the Bill of Rights . . 9
The Early National Period . . 18
The Crisis over Slavery and the Civil War . . 21
The Late Nineteenth Century and the Growth of the Modern State . . 24
The New Deal Crisis and the New Constitutional Regime . . 28
From the Reagan Revolution to the Present . . 35
Conclusion . . 39

2 THE CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH . . 43
Congress: Its Basic Structure and Roles . . 43
The American Party System . . 48
Political Parties and the Written Constitution . . 55
Conduct of Elections . . 58
Legislative Districting and Gerrymandering . . 61
Candidate Selection and Gerrymandering . . 64
Campaign Financing . . 65
Constitutional Politics within Congress . . 69
Conclusion . . 77

3 THE CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH . . 79
The President as Party Leader . . 82
The President's Role in Legislation . . 91
The Unitary Executive and the Modern Administrative State . . 96 
The Unitary Executive in Foreign Affairs . . 109
Conclusion . . 120

4 THE CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICS OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCH . . 123
Judicial Selection . . 125
Judicial Review and Judicial Supremacy . . 134
Political Constraints on the Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts . . 140 
Doctrinal Constraints on the Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts . . 147 
Standing . . 153
Conclusion . . 157

5 FEDERALISM AND THE REACH OF NATIONAL POWER . . 159
State Governments and the US Constitution . . 160
The Emergence of Plenary National Power . . 162
The So-Called 'Federalism Revolution' of the 1990s . . 169
Federalism and the Spending Power . . 179
Conclusion . . 181

6 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION . . 187
The Starting Point . . 189
Pragmatic and Realist Critiques . . 197
The New Deal Reconstruction . . 203
The Emergence of Modern Liberalism: Autonomy and Accommodation . . 209
Lawyers and Rights Litigation: The Development of Support Structures . . 222
Political Parties and Social Movements . . 227
Constitutional Rights at Century's End . . 233

7 THE PROCESSES OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE . . 237
Formal Amendments . . 237
Substance . . 239
Constitutional Interpretation as a Mechanism of Constitutional Change . . 242
Interpretive Methods: an Introduction . . 244
Conclusion . . 270

Constitutional Moments and Constitutional Change . . 271
Constitutional Moments . . 271
Concluding Thoughts . . 277
Index . . 281