Reviews

"The Rights and Liberties volume of Gillman, Graber, and Whittington's landmark American Constitutionalism will prove to be eye-opening and enriching to teachers and students alike. Its scope is expansive and its expositions lucid. Surpassing all previous collegiate texts on the subject, the authors paint a vivid picture of American constitutional rights and liberties in the round. Gillman, Graber, and Whittington offer invaluable instruction--and often strikingly original insight--into the diverse ways that rights principles are implicated, debated, fought over, and institutionalized over time in real-world political, historical, and legal contexts, both inside the courts and out. American Constitutionalism is a major achievement--a gold-standard teaching tool doubling as a penetrating account of the development of constitutional rights and liberties in America."--Ken I. Kersch, Boston College
"Through their innovative choice of sources and cogent historical framing, Gillman, Graber, and Whittington have made a groundbreaking and valuable contribution to the teaching of constitutional law. American Constitutionalism allows students to explore the content and historical context of landmark cases, the nature of constitutional change, and the role of judges, elected officials, and activists in shaping constitutional law. The book is accessible to a wide range of students, yet its primary source materials are varied and complex enough to engage even the most seasoned of scholars."--Emily Zackin, Hunter College, City University of New York
"This innovative text revolutionizes the teaching of American civil rights and liberties by presenting legal controversies over rights in their historical context. Students learn not only how rights work in the United States, but also how they have evolved over time, and how debates over rights have contributed to the development of the nation. The rich and varied documentary sources encourage students to think critically and creatively rather than memorizing doctrine by rote. A true gem for the instructor who wants students to grapple with core questions about how democracy has been articulated in the United States over time."--Julie Nokov, University at Albany, State University of New York
Congratulations to the authors on winning the APSA Law and Courts Section 2013 Teaching and Mentoring Award, for this "impressive, innovative, and outstanding" textbook. The Teaching and Mentoring Award recognizes innovative teaching and instructional methods and materials in law and courts.



"The Rights and Liberties volume of Gillman, Graber, and Whittington's landmark American Constitutionalism will prove to be eye-opening and enriching to teachers and students alike. Its scope is expansive and its expositions lucid. Surpassing all previous collegiate texts on the subject, the authors paint a vivid picture of American constitutional rights and liberties in the round. Gillman, Graber, and Whittington offer invaluable instruction--and often strikingly original insight--into the diverse ways that rights principles are implicated, debated, fought over, and institutionalized over time in real-world political, historical, and legal contexts, both inside the courts and out. American Constitutionalism is a major achievement--a gold-standard teaching tool doubling as a penetrating account of the development of constitutional rights and liberties in America."--Ken I. Kersch, Boston College
"Through their innovative choice of sources and cogent historical framing, Gillman, Graber, and Whittington have made a groundbreaking and valuable contribution to the teaching of constitutional law. American Constitutionalism allows students to explore the content and historical context of landmark cases, the nature of constitutional change, and the role of judges, elected officials, and activists in shaping constitutional law. The book is accessible to a wide range of students, yet its primary source materials are varied and complex enough to engage even the most seasoned of scholars."--Emily Zackin, Hunter College, City University of New York
"This innovative text revolutionizes the teaching of American civil rights and liberties by presenting legal controversies over rights in their historical context. Students learn not only how rights work in the United States, but also how they have evolved over time, and how debates over rights have contributed to the development of the nation. The rich and varied documentary sources encourage students to think critically and creatively rather than memorizing doctrine by rote. A true gem for the instructor who wants students to grapple with core questions about how democracy has been articulated in the United States over time."--Julie Nokov, University at Albany, State University of New York
Congratulations to the authors on winning the APSA Law and Courts Section 2013 Teaching and Mentoring Award, for this "impressive, innovative, and outstanding" textbook. The Teaching and Mentoring Award recognizes innovative teaching and instructional methods and materials in law and courts.




"American Constitutionalism marks a new age in the teaching of constitutional law. The book elegantly presents a historicized and developmental account that unveils the political and institutional roots of contemporary constitutional controversies. History and politics come alive for students as they engage constitutional problems as concrete political and legal struggles with stakes that span all American institutions, not just the courts. Ideal both for students who need basic background in US political history and students who are ready to move beyond the simple narratives they learned in secondary school, the text places major cases in their proper contexts through the integration of different types of primary sources. This helps students not just to understand the outcomes, but to see why they are important. After using this text, I can't imagine teaching constitutional law any other way."--Julie Novkov, University at Albany, State University of New York
"With the long-awaited publication of Gillman, Graber, and Whittington's American Constitutionalism, students can finally see vividly how American constitutional development has been shaped by a fascinating array of political actors--legislators, Presidents, and political party and social movement leaders--not just by courts. As a result, they can gain a much richer sense of American constitutional history, principles, and debates than most casebooks provide. A landmark contribution to the teaching and study of American constitutionalism."--Rogers M. Smith, University of Pennsylvania
"An important and refreshing challenge to the traditional case method of teaching constitutional law."--Jason Pierceson, University of Illinois Springfield