{"product_id":"0465064906","title":"America's Unwritten Constitution: The Precedents and Principles We Live By","description":"\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its venerated place atop American law and politics, our written Constitution does not enumerate all of the rules and rights, principles and procedures that actually govern modern America. The document makes no explicit mention of cherished concepts like the separation of powers and the rule of law. On some issues, the plain meaning of the text misleads. For example, the text seems to say that the vice president presides over his own impeachment trial-but surely this cannot be right. As esteemed legal scholar Akhil Reed Amar explains in \u003ci\u003eAmerica's Unwritten Constitution\u003c\/i\u003e, the solution to many constitutional puzzles lies not solely within the written document, but beyond it-in the vast trove of values, precedents, and practices that complement and complete the terse text.\u003cbr\u003eIn this sequel to \u003ci\u003eAmerica's Constitution: A Biography\u003c\/i\u003e, Amar takes readers on a tour of our nation's \u003ci\u003eunwritten\u003c\/i\u003e Constitution, showing how America's foundational document cannot be understood in textual isolation. Proper constitutional interpretation depends on a variety of factors, such as the precedents set by early presidents and Congresses; common practices of modern American citizens; venerable judicial decisions; and particularly privileged sources of inspiration and guidance, including the \u003ci\u003eFederalist\u003c\/i\u003e papers, William Blackstone's \u003ci\u003eCommentaries on the Laws of England\u003c\/i\u003e, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s \"I Have a Dream\" speech. These diverse supplements are indispensible instruments for making sense of the written Constitution. When used correctly, these extra-textual aids support and enrich the written document without supplanting it.\u003cbr\u003eAn authoritative work by one of America's preeminent legal scholars, \u003ci\u003eAmerica's Unwritten Constitution\u003c\/i\u003e presents a bold new vision of the American constitutional system, showing how the complementary relationship between the Constitution's written and unwritten components is one of America's greatest and most enduring strengths.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCategories:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistory\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnited States\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003eGeneral\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolitics \u0026amp; Social Sciences\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolitics \u0026amp; Government\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolitical Science\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003eConstitutions\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLaw\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConstitutional Law\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003eGeneral\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003eLegal History\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBook details\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amar, Akhil\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Illustrated\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Basic Books\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 640\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780465064908\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Used - Poor","offer_id":49454035534014,"sku":"0465064906-6","price":6.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0640\/9689\/5166\/files\/81x0Snv8qkL.jpg?v=1793047829","url":"https:\/\/shop.sustainablebooks.com\/products\/0465064906","provider":"Sustainable Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}