The People's Constitution

Name: The People's Constitution
Brand: Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9781620975619
Price: 111.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

200 Years, 27 Amendments, and the Promise of a More Perfect Union

By John F. Kowal and Wilfred U. Codrington III

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4.07

( 41 ratings, 11 reviews)

Summary

The People's Constitution tells the 233-year story of how Americans have transformed an imperfect founding document into a more democratic one through twenty-seven amendments over two centuries. The book explores key moments such as the addition of the Bill of Rights, the Fourteenth Amendment after the Civil War, the era of Prohibition, and the ongoing fight for the Equal Rights Amendment. It provides a compelling history of how popular movements reshaped the Constitution and expanded democracy amid America’s political struggles.
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Format: Hardback

$111⁰⁰

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The People's Constitution

$111⁰⁰

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in American history, constitutional law, political science, and social justice movements. It suits students, educators, and anyone seeking a thoughtful, accessible account of the Constitution's evolution and its ongoing impact on democracy.

"The 233-year story of how the American people have taken an imperfect constitution-the product of compromises and an artifact of its time-and made it more democratic"--

Description

The 233-year story of how the American people have taken an imperfect constitution—the product of compromises and an artifact of its time—and made it more democratic.

Who wrote the Constitution? That's obvious, we think: fifty-five men in Philadelphia in 1787. But much of the Constitution was actually written later, in a series of twenty-seven amendments enacted over the course of two centuries. The real history of the Constitution is the astonishing story of how subsequent generations have reshaped our founding document amid some of the most colourful, contested, and controversial battles in American political life. It's a story of how We the People have improved our government's structure and expanded the scope of our democracy during eras of transformational social change.

The People's Constitution is an elegant, sobering, and masterly account of the evolution of American democracy.

From the addition of the Bill of Rights, a promise made to save the Constitution from near certain defeat, to the post-Civil War battle over the Fourteenth Amendment, from the rise and fall of the "noble experiment" of Prohibition to the defeat and resurgence of an Equal Rights Amendment a century in the making, The People's Constitution is the first book of its kind: a vital guide to America's national charter, and an alternative history of the continuing struggle to realise the Framers' promise of a more perfect union.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praise for The People's Constitution: “With a focus on the people and strategies that changed a nation by changing its Constitution, the book offers an insightful and captivating description of the country’s popular movements and the incredible challenges posed by the amendment process.” — Caroline Fredrickson, Washington Monthly
“Readers at all levels interested in the Constitution’s history and future should find this work thoughtful and instructive.” — Library Journal
“Legal scholars Kowal and Codrington debut with a rigorous yet accessible history of how the U.S. Constitution has been made ‘more democratic, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of a changing country’ through its amendments. Incisive character profiles, brisk historical sketches, and lucid analyses of legal and political matters make this a fresh and invigorating take on the history of American democracy.” — Publishers Weekly

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781620975619

Publisher: The New Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 04 November 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: The New Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

Collections

Education & Reference John F. Kowal Non-Fiction Wilfred U. Codrington III

About the Author

Wilfred U. Codrington III is an assistant professor of law at Brooklyn Law School and a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law. His teaching and scholarship focus on constitutional law, election law, race, and antidiscrimination. Prior to joining the Brooklyn Law School, Codrington was an adjunct assistant professor of public service at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, an associate at DLA Piper, LLP, and a law clerk for Hon. Deborah A. Batts, U.S.D.J. A graduate of Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, and Stanford Law School, helives in New York City.

, a former director of grantmaking initiatives at the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations, is vice president for programs at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, where he is responsible for coordinating and guiding the organization's programs on democracy, justice, and liberty and national security. Kowal writes on issues of constitutional law and democracy reform. He lives in New York City.