Constitutional Law For Dummies

Discover the ins and outs of Constitutional law

Are you a student looking for trusted, plain-English guidance on the ins and outs of Constitutional law? Look no further!

Constitutional Law For Dummies provides a detailed study guide tracking to this commonly required law course. It breaks down complicated material and gives you a through outline of the parameters and applications of the U.S. Constitution in modern, easy-to-understand language.

• Critical information on the Constitution's foundations, powers, and limitations
• A modern analysis of the Constitution's amendments
• Detailed information on the Supreme Court and federalism

Explaining outdated governmental jargon in current, up-to-date terms, Constitutional Law For Dummies is just what you need for quick learning and complete understanding. Students studying government will also find this to be a useful supplement to a variety of courses.

Introduction 1

Part I: Studying Constitutional Law: The Foundations 9

Chapter 1: Understanding the Constitution 11

Chapter 2: Constitutional Law: A View from 30,000 Feet 33

Chapter 3: Mapping Out Key Concepts and Distinctions in Constitutional Law 49

Part II: Allocating Governmental Roles 59

Chapter 4: “Constituting” a New Federal Government 61

Chapter 5: Charting the Reach of National Government Powers 83

Chapter 6: Sorting Out National Powers: Inter-Branch Conflict and Cooperation 105

Chapter 7: The Constitution and Federalism 125

Part III: Protecting Property Rights and Avoiding Arbitrary Action141

Chapter 8: Avoiding Arbitrary Government Action: Due Process of Law 143

Chapter 9: Protecting Property: Land, Contracts, and Guns 161

Chapter 10: Preventing Government from Discriminating 177

Part IV: Rights to Self-Expression and Political Participation 199

Chapter 11: "Express Yourself!" Freedom of Speech 201

Chapter 12: The Constitution and Religion 225

Chapter 13: Getting Involved: Voting and Becoming or Supporting a Candidate 247

Part V: Understanding Privacy Rights 263

Chapter 14: Implied Privacy Rights — Fundamental and Otherwise 265

Chapter 15: Preventing Unreasonable Searches and Seizures 289

Chapter 16: The Right against Self-Incrimination 311

Part VI: The Part of Tens 331

Chapter 17: Ten Landmark Court Decisions about Governmental Structure 333

Chapter 18: Ten (Plus Three) Top Individual-Rights Cases 341

Glenn C. Smith is a professor of constitutional law at California Western School of Law in San Diego, CA, and creator of a nationally recognized seminar in which law students learn about the Supreme Court by role-playing as current justices and lawyers arguing before them.

Patricia Fusco is a government attorney and a criminal prosecutor working in the California Attorney General's Office, Special Crimes Unit. As a trial attorney, she deals with issues of constitutional law on a daily basis.

Discover the ins and outs of constitutional law

Are you looking for trusted, plain-English guidance on the ins and outs of constitutional law? Look no further! Constitutional Law For Dummies provides a detailed study guide tracking to this commonly required law course. Explaining complicated legal jargon in modern, easy-to-understand language, it's just what you need for quick learning and complete understanding.

• Constitutional Law 101 — get a handle on the historical perspective of the Constitution and gain an appreciation of the overall context of the document

• Checks and balances and Federal/state relations — discover the basic formulas modern jurists use to resolve controversies over national government powers

• Keep it to yourself — take a look at how the Constitution protects rights to privacy at home and in public

• Fight for your rights — understand how the Constitution and Bill of Rights were made to protect individual liberties and property rights

• Express yourself — find out how speech is protected, how separate church and state should really be, and how the Constitution shapes the "rules of engagement" in the political arena

Open the book and find:

• The basics for understanding the Constitution as a whole

• Equal-protection guarantees for Americans

• The 4-1-1 on freedom of speech and press

• A detailed roadmap of the "separation of powers"

• What's left of (and for) the states

• The right to vote, associate with political parties, and run for government office

Learn to:

• Break down complicated material into easy-to-understand parts

• Grasp the parameters and applications of the U.S. Constitution

• Understand the ins and outs of the Supreme Court and constitutional interpretation