Faculty Bibliography

"This is the second edition of Professor Mark Tushnet's excellent short critical introduction to the history and current meaning of the United States' Constitution. It is organized around two themes: first, the US Constitution is old, short, and difficult to amend. These characteristics have made constitutional 'interpretation' - especially by the US Supreme Court - the primary mechanism for adapting the Constitution to ever-changing reality. Second, the Constitution creates a structure of political opportunities that allows political actors, including political parties, to pursue the preferred policy goals, even to the point of altering the very structure of politics. Politics, that is, often gives meaning to the Constitution. Deploying these themes to examine the structure of the national government, federalism, judicial review, and individual rights, the book provides basic information about, and deeper insights into, the way the US constitutional system has developed and what it means today." --Amazon

"Mark Tushnet, a world-renowned scholar of constitutional law, presents an introduction to comparative constitutional law through an analysis of topics at the cutting-edge of contemporary scholarship. His authoritative study investigates constitution making, including the problem of unconstitutional constitutional amendments; recent developments in forms of constitutional review, including 'the battle of the courts'; proportionality analysis and its alternatives; and the emergence of a new 'transparency' branch in constitutions around the world. Throughout, the book draws upon examples from a wide range of nations, demonstrating that the field of comparative constitutional law now truly encompasses the world." -- Publisher's description.

The Routledge Handbook of Constitutional Law is an advanced level reference work which surveys the current state of constitutional law. Featuring new, specially commissioned papers by a range of leading scholars from around the world, it offers a comprehensive overview of the field as well as identifying promising avenues for future research. The book presents the key issues in constitutional law thematically allowing for a truly comparative approach to the subject. It also pays particular attention to constitutional design, identifying and evaluating various solutions to the challenges involved in constitutional architecture.