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The Heritage Guide to the Constitution | 
| Authors: Edwin Meese, Matthew Spalding, David F. Forte
Creators: Matthew Spalding, David F. Forte
Publisher: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $26.41
You Save: $8.59 (25%)
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 17945
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 491
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 159698001X
Dewey Decimal Number: 342.73023
EAN: 9781596980013
Publication Date: November 7, 2005
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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Product Description
This guide is the first of its kind, and presents the U.S. Constitution as never before, including a clause-by-clause analysis of the document, each amendment and relevant court case, and the documents that serve as the foundation of the Constitution.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
Brilliant! - unique, comprehensive, and authoritative. November 8, 2005
105 out of 109 found this review helpful
Excellent unbiased scholarship! Provides an authoritative research device for people who want to know what the Constitution says and what the history of the various provisions are. One of the greatest points is that it also includes the court cases and legal articles that explain in more detail the particular provision involved.
This book will be a great tool for legislators, lawyers and judges, and law students. But most importantly - it is terrific for anyone who is interested in understanding what the Constitution actually says. It features a clause-by-clause analysis of the original and contemporary meaning of the Constitution. It can be called the ultimate guide to our beloved Constitution that, in spite of much abuse, still stands head and shoulders above any other document of it's kind in the world. Highly recommended!
This book should be in your home and discussed with your family November 19, 2005
69 out of 73 found this review helpful
This is a book that should be read in every home in America. We have a written Constitution and the more each of us knows about this document, its origins, history, the debates about its meaning, and the present views about it, the better our public discourse can be and the more we can hold our representatives, Presidents, judges and justices to account.
This book takes the Constitution clause by clause and provides an article that discusses the origin of that clause, what was said about it at the time (if such a record exists), what the courts have said about it over time, and where the current debate rests. Yes, the Heritage Foundation is the sponsoring organization for this book. However, these articles are not simple conservative talking points about each clause. The articles are quite readable but scholarly in providing serious discussion of what this written document has meant, has been held to mean, how it has been ignored, and where the current trends are in our public life.
I think it is essential that we realize that we have a written Constitution and that it is very different than the British Constitution, which is unwritten and changes with the political will of the people and the audacity of their politicians. That movement is represented in our country by those who for the past century or so have been saying that our Constitution is a "living document". No, we have a written document with a mechanism for changing it. That process has been used effectively over time to accommodate society as it changes. To leave it open ended to mean whatever judges and unelected justices impose upon it is to subject ourselves to tyranny and to have a very different government that our founders fashioned for us.
While the book begins with a few really nice essays, you do not have to read this book front to back. You can dip into it here and there and read the articles independently of each other. In fact, it is probably best to focus on certain clauses one at a time, dig deeply in the article and have discussions about it (especially with your children). That way, over time, the whole of it takes on a stronger and interconnected substance. You will be able to see the serious debates and debunk the spurious claims made by those who find the written Constitution an impediment to their political aims. The fact that it is an impediment to them is actually to our protection and the reason our founders wrote the thing down. We should be grateful to them for doing that and study what was created by them for us. This book is a great tribute to them and a valuable resource for our study.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
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Originalism: A Quarter-Century of Debate
Essential reading for all federal judicial appointments... November 11, 2005
37 out of 42 found this review helpful
In an era of American history where Supreme Court Justices sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States cite foreign law, "international public opinion," and any number of random foundations for their erroneous rulings, "The Heritage Guide to the Constitution" offers readers a glimpse into the proper methods for interpreting the Constitution. Written by former Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese, in conjunction with Constitutional experts Matthew Spalding and David Forte, the book explores the Constitution step-by-step, line-by-line in an attempt to shed light on the true and original intent of the Founding Fathers.
With great emphasis on historical context, "The Heritage Guide to the Constitution" not only examines the text of the world's greatest governmental document, but it also extensively cites the notes and opinions of the Founders, the Federalist papers, time-honored commentaries on the Constitution, and a number of other sources in its efforts to bring the Constitution into the world of today. In so doing, the book proves itself a valuable resource for all Americans who grapple with the great Constitutional questions of our day... Is the Constitution a "living document"? Is it a rigid set of rules? What is the true interpretation of a specific passage? Is the best judicial philosophy one of a strict constructionist nature? Whether or not this book provides you with the answers to those questions, I have no doubt you will finish reading it a more informed and competent citizen, whether layperson or Constitutional scholar. This should be essential reading for every high school student in our nation...
Britt Gillette
Author of "The Dittohead's Guide to Adult Beverages"
Dick Marti did not read this book November 8, 2005
36 out of 51 found this review helpful
This book is great. Wether you are a liberal or conservative, this book is about the pervision of the constitution from all. Be a patriot, not a partison!
 "Heritage" refers to the think tank November 9, 2005
33 out of 38 found this review helpful
"Heritage" refers to the Heritage Foundation which is a right-leaning think tank who published and edited the book. Man, read the fine print.
And it is an excellent refrence book that all Americans should read; the Constitution is barely taught in schools any more and with the policies of our Congress lately its important for the citizens to review this document.
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