"A must-read for this era.ââJake Tapper, CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent
An insightful, urgent, and perennially relevant handbook that lays out in common sense language how the United States Constitution works, and how its protections are eroding before our eyesâessential reading for anyone who wants to understand and parse the constantly breaking news about the backbone of American government.
The Constitution is the most significant document in America. But do you fully understand what this valuable document means to you? In How to Read the Constitution--and Why, legal expert and educator Kimberly Wehle spells out in clear, simple, and common sense terms what is in the Constitution, and most importantly, what it means. In compelling terms and including text from the United States Constitution, she describes how the Constitutionâs protections are erodingânot only in express terms but by virtue of the many legal and social norms that no longer shore up its legitimacyâand why every American needs to heed to this âred flagâ moment in our democracy.
This invaluableâand timelyâresource includes the Constitution in its entirety and covers nearly every significant aspect of the text, from the powers of the President and how the three branches of government are designed to hold each other accountable, to what it means to have individual rightsâincluding free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to an abortion. Finally, the book explains why it has never been more important than now for all Americans to know how our Constitution worksâand why, if we donât step in to protect it now, we could lose its protections forever.
How to Read the Constitution--and Why is essential reading for anyone who cares about maintaining an accountable government and the individual freedoms that the Constitution enshrines for everyone in Americaâregardless of political party.