Understanding State Constitutions

Erscheinungsjahr 2000
ISBN: 978-0-691-07066-7
Verlag: Princeton University Press

Buch, Englisch, 264 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 427 g

For many Americans, the word "constitution" means just one thing: the national Constitution. According to a recent survey, almost half do not know that individual states also have constitutions. Scholars have also paid little attention to state constitutions, favoring the apparently more dynamic and significant federal scene. G. Alan Tarr seeks to change that in this landmark book. A leading authority on state legal issues, he combines history, law, and political science to present a thorough and long-needed account of the distinct and important role of state constitutions in American life.Tarr shows that state constitutional politics are dominated by three crucial issues with little salience at the national level: the distribution of power among groups and regions within states, the scope of state and local governmental authority, and the relation of the state to economic activity. He explains how state constitutions differ from the national Constitution in treating not only matters of high principle but also such mundane subjects as ski trails and motor vehicle revenues. He also explores why state constitutions, unlike their federal counterpart, have been so frequently amended and replaced. Tarr concludes that the United States not only has a system of dual constitutionalism but also has dual constitutional cultures.Powerfully argued and meticulously researched, the book fills an important gap in political and legal studies and finally gives state constitutions the scholarly attention they richly deserve.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Tarr, G. Alan

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Theorie, Politische Philosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Sozialphilosophie, Politische Philosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Staats- und Regierungsformen, Staatslehre

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction1Ch. 1The Distinctiveness of State Constitutionalism6Ch. 2Explaining State Constitutional Development29Ch. 3Eighteenth-Century State Constitutionalism60Ch. 4Nineteenth-Century State Constitutionalism94Ch. 5Twentieth-Century State Constitutionalism136Ch. 6State Constitutional Interpretation173Bibliography211Index237