The Bill of Rights Today: Constitutional Limits on the Powers of Government

The proper role of the government operating in a free society and regulating an individual's behavior is a subject that can provoke heated political debate. There is an ongoing discussion among the nine Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court about the fundamental values that are reflected in the words of the Bill of Rights. If we contrast the interpretation of the Bill of Rights presented by the Earl Warren Court four decades ago with the more recent decisions handed down by the Rehnquist and Roberts Court, we cannot avoid the conclusion that there has been a substantial change in the rights enjoyed by Americans. In referring to these changes, Justice Stephen Breyer recently wrote: "It is not often in the law that so few have so quickly changed so much." In The Bill of Rights Today, attorney and political scientist Joseph Dillon Davey examines the most controversial cases handed down by the Supreme Court and shows how the issues involved in these cases have profound implications for American society. Davey emphasizes the most controversial issues being faced by the High Court today and challenges our perspective on the role the Supreme Court Justice plays in determining the extent society will continue to enjoy the freedoms outlined in the U.S. Constitution.