The Constitution Today

In this “desperately needed” (Time.com) book, a leading legal scholar addresses the most important constitutional controversies of the twenty-first century and illuminates the Constitution's ongoing relevance In The Constitution Today, Akhil Reed Amar, America’s preeminent constitutional scholar, considers the biggest and most bitterly contested debates of the twenty-first century—from gun control to gay marriage, affirmative action to criminal procedure, presidential dynasties to congressional dysfunction, Bill Clinton’s impeachment to Obamacare. He shows how the Constitution’s text, history, and structure are a crucial repository of collective wisdom, providing specific rules and grand themes relevant to every organ of the American body politic. With accessible prose and expert insights, Amar leads readers through the most important constitutional questions while explaining the direction constitutional law must go, offering an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand America’s Constitution and its relevance today. Leading readers through the particular constitutional questions at stake in each episode while outlining his abiding views regarding the Constitution's letter, its spirit, and the direction constitutional law must go, Amar offers an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand America's Constitution and its relevance today.