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VOLUME | STRUCTURES OF GOVERNMENT
HOWARD GILLMAN ° MARK A. GRABER ° KEITH E. WHITTINGTON
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Preface xix
Part 1 Themes
Part 2 Development
D The Colonial Era: Before 1776 31
Appendices 715
Glossary 743
Index 7/49 ,
Cases 7/71
Contents
Andrew Jackson, Veto Message Regarding the Bank Note: The Republicans Reorganize the
of the United States 202 Judiciary 254
B. Fugitive Slave Clause 206 B. Judicial Supremacy 256
Salmon Chase, Speech in the Case of the Colored Lincoln on Departmentalism 256
Woman Matilda 207 C. Constitutional Litigation 257
Prigg v. Pennsylvania 208 Mississippi v. Johnson 258
John J. Crittenden, Opinion on the Constitutionality Ex parte McCardle 261
of the Fugitive Slave Bill 211
. Powers of the National Government 262
C. Territorial Acquisition and Governance 212
A. Necessary and Proper Clause 263
Congressional Debate on the Annexation of Legal Tender 264
Texas 214
Congressional Debate on the
Dred Scott v. Sandford 216
Legal Tender Bill 266
Abraham Lincoln, Speech on Slavery in the Hepburn v. Griswold 267
Territories 220
Legal Tender Cases 269
. Federalism 221 B. Federal Power to Enforce Civil Rights 272
A. States and the Commerce Clause 222 Senate Debate over the Civil Rights Act of 1866 273
Willson v. Black Bird Creek Marsh Company 223 Civil Rights Act of 1866 276
City of New York v. Miln 224 . Federalism 277
Cooley v. Board of Wardens of the Port of A. Secession 277
Philadelphia 226 South Carolina Ordinance of Secession 277
B. State Authority to Interpret the Constitution 228 Jeremiah Black, Opinion on the Power of the
John C. Calhoun, “Fort Hill Address” 228 President in Executing the Laws 279
Andrew Jackson, Proclamation on Nullification 230 Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address 280
C. States and Native American Sovereignty 231 B. Federalism During the Civil War 282
Worcester v. Georgia 232 Federalism in the North 282
. Separation of Powers 233 Note: The Creation of West Virginia 282
A. Presidential Power to Execute the Law 234 Federalism in the South 284
The Debate over the Removal of the Deposits 234 C. The Status of the Southern States during
Andrew Jackson, Paper on the Removal of the Reconstruction 285
Deposits 235 William T. Sherman, “Memorandum” 286
Henry Clay, Speech on the Removal of the Andrew Johnson, First Annual Message 286
Deposits 236 Henry Winter Davis, “No Peace Before Victory” 288
Andrew Jackson, Protest of the Censure Charles Sumner, “State Rebellion, State
Resolution 238 Suicide” 289
B. Presidential War and Foreign Affairs Powers 240 Thaddeus Stevens, Speech on Reconstruction 290
James Polk, Second Annual Message 240 Texas v. White 290
House Debate on the Constitutionality of the D. Constitutional Amendment and
Mexican War 241 Ratification 294
C. Legislative Powers of the President 243 Note: The Validity of the Fourteenth
House Debate on the Veto Power 245 Amendment 294
C. Presidential War and Foreign Affairs Powers 306 Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway Company v.
Abraham Lincoln, “Emancipation Ilinois 393
Proclamation” 308 B. Police Powers 396
Benjamin Curtis, Executive Power 308 Thomas M. Cooley, Constitutional Limitations 396
The Prize Cases 311 Munn v. State of Illinois 397
D. Impeaching and Censuring the President 313 C. Representation of State Interests 401
Note: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson 313 George F. Hoar, “Direct Election of Senators” 401
xi
Topical Outline of Volume |
Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Company 376 Melancton Smith, Speech to the New York
United States v. Butler 480 Ratification Convention 82
Steward Machine Co. v. Davis 484 George F. Hoar, “Direct Election of Senators” 401
South Dakota v. Dole 585 State Regulation of Federal Elections
F. Territorial Acquisition and Governance U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton 658
Senate Debate on the Louisiana Purchase 140 State Authority to Interpret the Constitution
House Debate on the Missouri Compromise 142 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 164
Congressional Debate on the Annexation of Resolution to the State of Rhode Island and
Texas 214 Providence Plantations to Virginia 166
Dred Scott v. Sandford 216 John C. Calhoun, Fort Hill Address 228
Abraham Lincoln, Speech on Slavery in the Andrew Jackson, Proclamation on
Territories 220 Nullification 230
Insular Cases 382 . Constitutional Amendment and Ratification
G. Fugitive Slave Clause Note: The Validity of the Fourteenth
Salmon Chase, Speech in the Case of the Colored Amendment 294
Woman Matilda 207 Note: The Validity of the Twenty-Seventh
Prigg v. Pennsylvania 208 Amendment 594
John Crittenden, Opinion on the Constitutionality . Secession
of the Fugitive Slave Bill 211 South Carolina Ordinance of Secession 277
H. Treaty Power Jeremiah Black, Opinion on the Power of the
Missouri v. Holland 377 President in Executing the Laws 279
. Federalism Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address 280
A. States and the Commerce Clause . The Status of the Southern States during
Willson v. Black Bird Creek Marsh Company 223 Reconstruction
City of New York v. Miln 224 William T. Sherman, “Memorandum” 286
Cooley v. Board of Wardens of the Port of Andrew Johnson, First Annual Message 286
Philadelphia 226 Henry Winter Davis, “No Peace Before
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company v. Victory” 288
Figure 1-1 Left-Right Distribution ofJustices, Figure 4-2 Map of Louisiana Purchase and Missouri
Congress, and President in 1974 15 Compromise 139
Figure 1-2 The Supreme Court and Public Opinion, Figure 4-3 Electoral Map of the United States,
1957-1997 21 1800 181
Box 2-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the Box 5-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the
Colonial Era 33 Jacksonian Era 191
Table 2-1 Major Issues and Statements of the Table 5-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the
Colonial Era 32 Jacksonian Era 187
Box 3-1 Partial Cast of Characters of the Founding
Table 5-2 Supreme Court Justices and Federal
Era 54
Judicial Circuits, 1842-1860 195
Table 3-1 Ratification of the U.S. Constitution by
Figure 5-1 Partisan Control of the U.S. Government,
State 53
1829-1860 188
Figure 3-1 Territorial Map of the United States,
Figure 5-2 Map of Federal Judicial Circuits,
1789 52
1837 194
Figure 3-2 Slaves as Percentage of State Population,
1790 76 Figure 5-3 Map of the Territorial Acquisitions of the
Jacksonian Era 215
Figure 3-3 Slave-State Representation in Congress,
1790-1860 77 Illustration 5-1 Inauguration of Andrew Jackson 185
Box 4-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the Early Iustration 5-2 Democratic Party Ballot, 1828 192
National Era 98
Illustration 5-3 General Jackson Slaying the Monster
Table 4-1 Majors Issues and Decisions of the Early Bank 205
National Era 96
Illustration 5-4 King Andrew the First 244
Table 4-2 Some Early Cases of Judicial Review in
Box 6-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the Civil
American Courts 103
War and Reconstruction 252
Table 4-3 Selection of U.S. Supreme Court Cases
Reviewing Federal Laws under the Table 6-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the Civil
Necessary and Proper Clause 123 War and Reconstruction 250
Figure 4-1 Partisan Control of the U.S. Government, Table 6-2 Reorganization of Federal Judicial
1789-1828 94 Circuits, 1862-1863 255
XV
xvi Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
Table 6-3 Selection of U.S. Supreme Court Cases Table 8-3 Selection of U.S. Supreme Court Cases
Reviewing Presidential Powers as Reviewing State Laws under the
Commander in Chief 307 Interstate Commerce Clause 490
Figure 6-1 Map of Federal Judicial Circuits, 1866 256 Figure 8-1 Partisan Control of the U.S. Government,
1933-1980 418
IHustration 6-1 “Milk Tickets for Babies, In Place of
Milk” 265 Figure 8-2 Agenda Change on the U.S. Supreme
Court, 1933-1988 423
Illustration 6-2 Chief Justice Roger Taney 298
Figure 8-3 Precedents Overruled by the U.S.
Box 7-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the
Supreme Court, 1790-2004 426
Republican Era 325
Figure 8-4 U.S. Supreme Court Invalidation of State
Table 7-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the
and Federal Laws, 1930-1980 427
Republican Era 321
Figure 8-5 Civilian Employees of the Federal
Table 7-2 Admission of States to the Union,
Government, 1901-1980 460
1863-1890 322
Illustration 8-1 “Three's A Crowd!” 436
Table 7-3 Percentage of Popular Vote in Presidential
Election by Political Party, 1876-1932 323 Illustration 8-2 Justices Felix Frankfurter and Hugo
Black 457
Table 7-4 Selection of U.S. Supreme Court Cases
Reviewing Federal Laws under the Illustration 8-3 Justice Robert H. Jackson 469
Interstate Commerce Clause 355
Illustration 8-4 “Well, We Certainly Botched This Job.
Figure 7-1 Partisan Control of the U.S. Government, What’ll We Stamp It—’Secret’ or ‘Top
1861-1932 320 Secret’?” 510
Figure 7-2 Average Republican Party Vote, Box 9-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the Era of
1876-1892 324 Liberalism Divided 516
Figure 7-3 Average Republican Party Vote,
Table 9-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the Era of
1896-1928 324
Liberalism Divided 515
Figure 7-4 Supreme Court Review of Federal Laws,
Figure 9-1 Partisan Identification of Southerners and
1850-1950 330
Non-Southerners since 1950 514
Figure 7-5 Supreme Court Invalidation of State and
Figure 9-2 Left-Right Location of Supreme
Federal Laws, 1850-1950 331
Court Relative to Other Branches,
Figure 7-6 Political Experience of the Supreme Court 1950-2002 518
Justices, 1790-2008 332
Illustration 9-1 President Richard Nixon presents William
Illustration 7-1 Constitutional Limits in the Campaign of Rehnquist with his Commission to be
1912 328 Associate Justice 531
Box 8-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the New Illustration 9-2 “He Says He's from the Phone
Deal-Great Society Era 420 Company” 554
Table 8-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the New Box 10-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the Reagan
Deal and Great Society Era 419 Era 567
Table 8-2 Federal and State and Local Government Table 10-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the Reagan
Spending, 1902-1980 459 Era 566
Tables, Figures, and Illustrations xvii
Table 10-2 Timeline of Ratification of Twenty- Figure 11-1 Supreme Court Invalidation of State and
Seventh Amendment 595 Federal Laws, 1970-2004 621
Figure 10-1 Partisan Control of the U.S. Government, Figure 11-2 Percentage of Federal Circuit Court
1981-2008 564 Nominations Not Confirmed,
1945-2008 634
Figure 10-2 Trust in Government Index,
1958-2004 565 Figure 11-3 Federalism References in Party Platforms,
1960-1996 638
Figure 10-3 Court-Curbing Bills Introduced in
Congress, 1877-2007 582 Ilustration 11-1 Judicial Nominations 620
Illustration 10-1 “You Were Expecting Maybe Edward M. IMlustration 11-2 The National Security State 677
Kennedy?” 577
Illustration 11-3 War Powers 687
Illustration 10-2 Jagdish Rai Chadha, the respondent in
INS v. Chadha 602 Figure A-1 Getting to the U.S. Supreme Court 731
Box 11-1 A Partial Cast of Characters of the Figure A-2 Number of Supreme Court Cases with
Contemporary Era 617 Separate Opinions 732
Table 11-1 Major Issues and Decisions of the Appendix 3 Chronological Table of Presidents,
Contemporary Era 616 Congress, and the Supreme Court 739
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Preface
This textbook pioneers a new approach to American long-dead framers. When we think that government is
constitutionalism. Our target audience consists of pro- treating us unfairly, we complain that we have been
fessors, students, and readers interested in researching, denied “the equal protection of the laws.” We insist or
teaching, and learning about constitutional politics in deny that national health care is a legitimate exercise
the United States. This subject matter explains four of the congressional power under Article I “to regu-
crucial features of the material that follows. late commerce among the several states.” We debate
whether it is a “necessary and proper” exercise of the
# We discuss all important debates in American consti-
constitutional power “to lay and collect Taxes and pro-
tutional history.
vide for the general welfare of the United States.”
= We include readings from all prominent participants
Sophisticated observers and informed participants
in these constitutional debates.
need a different introduction to American constitu-
=» We organize these constitutional debates by histori-
tionalism than lawyers practicing before the Supreme
cal era.
Court of the United States. Both should be exposed
# Chapter introductions clearly lay out the political
to such judicial landmarks as McCulloch v. Maryland
and legal contexts.
(1819), the decision which defined the scope of national
Our goal is to familiarize readers with the central con- powers, and Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the
stitutional issues that have excited Americans over decision which declared the laws unconstitutional that
the years—and that are still vigorously debated in our mandated racial segregation in public schools. For this
time. We hope to break the habit of equating American reason, American Constitutionalism includes generous
constitutionalism with the decisions of the Supreme selections from the most important cases decided by
Court of the United States. Constitutionalism in the the Supreme Court of the United States.
United States covers more topics, is more complex, and Participants in constitutional politics should be
is more interesting than one would gather from merely familiar with important constitutional issues that are
reading essays by judges in law reports. not being litigated, and may never have been litigated,
American Constitutionalism is directed at all persons before the Supreme Court of the United States. They
who hope to be sophisticated observers and informed should know the basic arguments for and against presi-
participants in a constitutional regime, not just the dential power to initiate military action in foreign coun-
very few who make arguments before federal judges tries, even if that constitutional question has not been
or the extraordinary few who become federal judges. decided by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Our text provides readers with the materials they need Sophisticated observers should be aware of the ways
to form educated opinions on the fundamental ques- in which Supreme Court rulings may be consequences
tions of American constitutionalism. of previous constitutional choices made by other con-
Constitutional norms pervade all of American poli- stitutional authorities. The Brown decision, for exam-
tics, and all of us participate in that constitutional poli- ple, occurred only after Presidents Roosevelt, Truman,
tics. The very vocabulary that ordinary Americans use and Eisenhower packed the federal courts with racial
when talking politics reflects the language chosen by liberals who believed Jim Crow unconstitutional.
xix
xx Preface
American Constitutionalism seeks to make readers contemporary controversy over “enhanced” methods
more sophisticated observers and informed partici- of interrogating suspected terrorists. Along the way,
pants in constitutional politics. If our goal is to under- we include the constitutional debates over the Bill
stand American constitutionalism, then we should be of Rights, the Louisiana Purchase, the Emancipation
open to the full range of the American constitutional Proclamation, prohibition, women’s suffrage, the New
experience. If our goal is to engage the fundamen- Deal, and presidential power to order troops into for-
tal questions that have roiled American politics and eign countries.
understand the dynamics of constitutional develop- When determining what materials to include, we
ment, then we must widen our perspective. We must look to the impact of the controversy on American con-
incorporate the constitutional politics underlying land- stitutional development. We devote space to the con-
mark Supreme Court decisions, and we must include stitutional disputes over the annexation of Texas and
landmark constitutional decisions made by elected the proposed Human Life Amendment. Both debates
officials and state courts. American Constitutionalism were central to the constitutional politics of the time
provides these materials. and provide foundations for contemporary constitu-
Constitutional arguments are as much the stuff of tional politics. We spend less time on technical legal
politics as the pork barrel and the log roll. The inter- questions primarily of interest to lawyers with a fed-
play of legal principles, moral values, partisan inter- eral courts practice. We believe that scarce space in a
ests, and historical development is a central feature of textbook aimed at providing a deeper understanding
our constitutional system. Basic constitutional institu- of the workings of our constitutional system is bet-
tions provide normative and procedural frameworks ter spent covering such issues as the constitutional
that allow political debate and decision making to debates during the 1920s over federal anti-lynching
move forward in ways that both political winners and laws than the precise details of the state market excep-
losers alike usually consider legitimate. At the same tion to the dormant commerce clause. The former tells
time, preexisting constitutional commitments confer us more about the politics and principles of American
advantages on some political movements and partisan constitutionalism than the latter.
coalitions relative to others.
With the materials that follow we hope to provide
an understanding of how constitutionalism actually All Important Constitutional
works in the United States. We reject the simple view Participants
that constitutionalism has nothing to do with politics—
and the equally simple view that constitutionalism is American Constitutionalism examines the contributions
nothing more than a dressed-up version of ordinary of all Americans to important constitutional debates.
politics. American constitutionalism is a distinctive These contributions include the judicial opinions in such
form of politics with distinctive goals and modes of landmark Supreme Court cases as Marbury v. Madison
justification. Understanding the interplay between all (1803) and Roe v. Wade (1973). The major contributions to
the different elements of constitutional law and poli- important constitutional debates also include the argu-
tics is a precondition for any realistic assessment of ments lawyers made before the Supreme Court, the judi-
how American constitutionalism actually works, how cial opinions and legal arguments in lower federal court
that system of governance should work, and how our and state court cases, presidential speeches and opinions
political order might work better. of the attorney general, congressional debates and leg-
islative reports, party manifestos, pamphlets produced
by interest groups, and scholarly commentaries. A com-
All Important Constitutional Debates prehensive education in American constitutionalism
should include Salmon Chase’s argument that Congress
American Constitutionalism covers the major consti- had no constitutional power to pass a fugitive slave act,
tutional controversies that have excited Americans the prominent state court decisions interpreting provi-
from the colonial era to the present. Readings range sions in state bills of rights, President Nixon’s veto of
from protests that the Stamp Act violated the unwrit- the War Powers Resolution, the congressional debates
ten English Constitution to the arguments made in the over the ratification of the post-Civil War Amendments,
Preface
and the Margold Report outlining the NAACP’s strat- constitutional development into ten relatively distinct
egy during the 1930s and 1940s for securing a Supreme and stable political regimes: Colonial (before 1776),
Court decision ending “separate but equal.” Founding (1776-1788), Early National (1789-1828),
We include these materials because we recognize Jacksonian (1829-1860), Civil War/Reconstruction
that American constitutionalism takes shape in the (1861-1876), Republican (1877-1932), New Deal/Great
legislature and the executive branches of government, Society (1933-1968), Liberalism Divided (1969-1980),
as well as in the judiciary. Constitutional provisions Reagan (1981-1993), and Contemporary (1994—present).
and principles are elaborated within the national gov- These ten eras are characterized by important constitu-
ernment, by state and local officials, and on the streets tional stabilities that mark that period off from previous
and in meeting places throughout the United States. and later eras.
Constitutional meaning is determined by government Constitutional questions about secession and slav-
officials, party platforms, campaign speeches, legal ery were settled by the Civil War. Americans during the
treatises, and newspaper articles. Jacksonian Era bitterly debated the constitutional issues
Our emphasis on all participants is closely related associated with national territorial expansion, banking,
to our concern with presenting all major constitutional and internal improvements. Americans after Recon-
debates. Consider the constitutional issues raised by struction were far more concerned with national power
national expansion and presidential war-making pow- to regulate railroads and drinking. New Dealers tempo-
ers. These matters were debated and settled by elected rarily settled the constitutional questions over national
officials. We would only skim the surface of the consti- power to regulate the economy that divided Americans
tutional controversies raised during the contemporary from 1876 to 1932. Many of these issues reemerged in
war against terror if we limited materials to Supreme transmuted and muted form during the contemporary
Court rulings. Even when courts make constitutional era. Brown v. Board of Education was hotly contested dur-
rulings, those rulings are typically preceded and struc- ing the New Deal and Great Society. Americans after
tured by constitutional politics outside the judiciary. 1968 celebrated Brown and debated whether that deci-
The Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) sion supported or undermined affirmative action.
refrained from overruling Roe v. Wade in part because Approaching American constitutionalism historically
pro-choice Democrats in 1986 were able to prevent provides a sound framework for understanding crucial
President Reagan from appointing Robert Bork, a vig- episodes in American constitutional politics. Consider
orous critic of Roe, to the Supreme Court. The Supreme struggles over constitutional authority. Thomas Jeffer-
Court in McCulloch v. Maryland declared that congres- son, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin
sional decisions made during the preceding decade Roosevelt maintained that the president, when making
had partly settled questions about the constitutionality constitutional decisions, should not always be bound by
of the national bank. Elected officials often decide the past Supreme Court decisions. Other presidents have
fate of judicial decisions once they are handed down. If accepted judicial rulings as authoritative. Our period
we pay too much attention to Brown v. Board of Educa- divisions enable readers to see patterns in this cycle of
tion (1954), we will overlook the crucial role the Civil presidential assertion and deference.
Rights Act of 1964 played in securing desegregation. If The historical approach also enables students to
we concentrate too narrowly on the words of the Court see vital connections between different constitutional
in Brown, we miss the equally significant and diverse issues. Debates over slavery ranged from the scope of
words of Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, the the federal power to regulate the interstate slave trade
Southern Manifesto, and Martin Luther King, Jr. under the interstate commerce clause to whether the
Sixth Amendment gave alleged fugitive slaves a right
to ajury trial. The movement for racial equality during
Historical Organization the 1950s and 1960s challenged existing constitutional
understandings of the First Amendment, constitu-
American Constitutionalism is organized historically. It tional criminal procedure, cruel and unusual punish-
respects the traditional division into two volumes, on ment, equal protection, the scope of federal power
the structures of government and rights and liberties. over interstate commerce, and state power to regulate
However, within each volume, we divide American interstate commerce in the absence of federal power.
xxii Preface
We risk losing the vital connections between constitu- tution, constitutional interpretation, constitutional
tional provisions when we cabin American constitu- authority, and constitutional change.
tionalism into artificial doctrinal categories and treat = Each historical chapter is divided into a consistent
them as timeless abstractions. set of topical sections.
» After the period introduction, sections within each
subsequent chapter summarize the major issues.
The Political and Legal Contexts Each section begins with a bulleted list of major
developments, for ease of reference and to facilitate
In all these ways, American Constitutionalism provides understanding.
readers with information about the political and legal » All readings are prefaced with explanatory head-
contexts in which constitutional controversies arise, notes, and all headnotes to court cases end with
are debated, and are settled. A concise introduction to questions. We believe that this more effectively cre-
each chapter identifies the central features of American ates engaged readers and engaged citizens.
constitutional politics during a particular era. These ® Occasional “Notes” explain particularly vexing
crucial elements are both political and legal. constitutional debates.
The political elements include the most important par- # Period illustrations, such as political cartoons, fur-
tisan coalitions that fought for electoral supremacy, the ther suggest controversies and contexts.
main interests that supported those coalitions, the posi- =» Tables throughout the volume summarize key
tions those coalitions took on the most important issues issues and court cases.
that divided Americans, and the extent to which one = Allchapters end with suggested readings.
coalition was more successful than others at gaining con-
trol of the national government. The Dred Scott decision We hope the materials provided here allow read-
(1857), which declared that Congress could not ban slav- ers to think about questions of constitutional inter-
pretation and what the text that we have means, but
ery in American territories, articulated the constitutional
commitments of the Jacksonian Democrats, who usually
also to think about questions of constitutional design
controlled the national government from 1828 to 1860. and practice. If resolving fundamental disputes was
The legal elements include the most important merely a matter of consulting a neutral referee, such as
schools of constitutional and legal thought in a partic- a Supreme Court, whose authority was acknowledged
ular era. They include the general principles that most by all players, then constitutional politics would be a
people believed best justified the constitutional order simple matter of appeals, decisions, and essays in law
and were the best methods for interpreting the Consti- books. Because our system does not work in this way,
tution. Last, they include the available precedents that we have written this book.
could be invoked to justify future constitutional devel- For ease of use, the readings in the text are modern-
opments. New Deal liberals, when justifying extensive ized, and we generally use modern terminology to refer to
government regulation of the national economy, relied political and constitutional concepts. Since U.S. Supreme
heavily on notions of a “living constitution” that had Court cases can now be easily found, we have generally
become increasingly prominent in legal thought dur- cited them only by party names and decision date. Other
ing the early twentieth century. court cases are referenced by full legal citation. Footnotes
appearing in case excerpts are from the original source,
unless otherwise indicated.
Pedagogical Framework
able on the Web, as part of the extensive supplements while diligently pointing out the many mistakes made
available with this book. in the initial elaboration of this new American consti-
We also make available correlation guides—to tutionalism. Finally, we should acknowledge the debt
match our coverage to more traditional sequences. We we owe to our students at Princeton University, the
wish to make our unusual range of coverage suitable University of Southern California, and the University
to any class. Yet we also hope in this way to make the of Maryland. They will inherit American constitution-
transition to a new approach easier. We believe that a alism, if not American Constitutionalism. From them, we
historical organization best reflects the lived experience have learned that less is often more. We have experi-
of the political actors who challenged existing constitu- enced firsthand the hunger in younger Americans for
tional practices and the constitutional authorities who ways to better understand and reform the American
determined the validity of those challenges. constitutional order.
The three of us owe a special debt of gratitude to the
many persons who directly assisted the actual writing
Acknowledgments of American Constitutionalism. The list of friends and
colleagues who responded promptly when we asked
American Constitutionalism was inspired by and is for for advice about such matters as executive privilege in
our teachers and our students. Walter Murphy, Sanford the Jacksonian Era or Sunday laws in the 1920s is prob-
Levinson, Mark Tushnet, Stephen Elkins, Lou Fisher, ably longer than this volume, if that can be imagined.
Bruce Ackerman, Martin Shapiro, and Rogers Smith Nevertheless, we ought to single out Rogers Smith and
are foremost among our many teachers. From them and Sandy Levinson for being particularly helpful with
others we learned that American constitutionalism was their comments and assistance. A legion of research
about the construction of a political regime and not lim- assistants worked diligently finding cases, making
ited to close analysis of a few Supreme Court opinions. tables, correcting typos, and inserting periods. They
Leslie Goldstein, Judith Baer, Gary Jacobsohn, H. W. include Deborah Beim, David Bridge, Benjamin Bru-
Perry, Gordon Silverstein, Paul Frymer, Julie Novkov, ins, Jonathan Cheng, Colleen Clary, Ina Cox, Danny
George Lovell, Daniel Carpenter, Cornell Clayton, Frost, David Glick, Abigail Graber, Ayana Mayberry,
Michael McCann, Barry Friedman, Jack Balkin, Randy April Morton, David Myers, Herschel Nachlis, Ben-
Barnett, Douglas Reed, Steve Griffin, Pamela Brand- jamin Newton, David Nohe, Amanda Radke, Jennifer
wein, Kevin McMahon, Tom Keck, Keith Bybee, Shep Ratcliff, Jessica Rebarber, Edward Reilly, Ryan Palmer,
Melnick, Ken Kersch, Ron Kahn, Stephen Skowronek, Clara Shaw, Michael Sullivan, Thaila Sundaresan, Jeff
and many others have simultaneously been our teach- Tessin, and Katie Zuber.
ers and students. For the past quarter century we have Many friends and colleagues helped us test earlier
participated in a common project devoted to elaborat- iterations of American Constitutionalism. Each of them
ing new constitutional histories, new constitutional provided vital encouragement to us at initial stages of
theories, and new constitutional visions all aimed at the project, but also gave us plain hard truths about the
exploring the ways in which the study of American difficult choices we needed to make in order to bring
constitutional politics might differ from the study of this book to market. We thank them profusely for their
constitutional law. We are particularly grateful for the counsel, as well as their students, whose comments on
opportunities to teach and learn from Kim Scheppele, earlier editions we did our best to incorporate in the
Ran Hirschl, Gary Jacobsohn, Leslie Goldstein, and later volumes.
Thomas Ginsburg, who have consistently reminded This project would not exist if not for Jennifer
us that we can understand American constitutional- Carpenter and John Haber, our editors at Oxford
ism only by understanding constitutionalism outside University Press. They combined consistent encour-
of the United States. Over the past decade, we have agement, meticulous editing, and the patience of Job.
welcomed Mariah Zeisberg, Tom Clark, Bradley Hays, Most important, they kept the faith that what we
Steve Simon, Beau Breslin, Doug Edlin, Helen Knowles, had to say mattered if said right and clearly. Other
David Erdos, Justin Crowe, David Glick, and Emily members of Oxford University Press demonstrated
Zackin to this constitutionalist fellowship. Each of the same standard of exemplary professionalism and
these talented scholars has been tolerant of our foibles friendship.
xxiv Preface
We must also thank the many reviewers who closely State University; Michael C. Tolley, Northeastern Uni-
examined each chapter to ensure its scholarly integrity versity; David Upham, University of Dallas; Chad
and suitability to their course in constitutional law: Westerland, University of Arizona; Darren Wheeler,
David Gray Adler, Idaho State University; John M. Ball State University; Teena Wilhelm, University of
Aughenbaugh, Virginia Commonwealth University; Georgia.
Steven P. Brown, Auburn University; Ericka Chris- Still others have class tested drafts of this text with
tensen, Washington State University; John Feldmeier, their students: Rogers M. Smith, University of Pennsyl-
Wright State University; Greg Goelzhauser, Coastal vania; Julie Novkov, University at Albany; Alice Hearst,
Carolina University; Hans J. Hacker, Arkansas State Smith College; Justin Crowe, Williams College.
University; Jeffrey D. Hockett, University of Tulsa; Before, during, and after writing this book, we drew
Robert M. Howard, Georgia State University; Thomas inspiration from our families, who seem appropriately
R. Hunter, University of West Georgia; Thomas Keck, amused with our fascination for American constitu-
Syracuse University; John C. Kilwein, West Virginia tional development. Mark Graber wishes to extend his
University; Barbara Kirby, University of North Texas; love and appreciation to his mother, Anita Wine Graber,
Drew Lanier, University of Central Florida; Carolyn N. and his spouse, Julia Bess Frank, and children—Naomi,
Long, Washington State University Vancouver; David Abigail, and Rebecca. Keith Whittington thanks Tracey
S. Mann, College of Charleston; Banks Miller, Univer- and Taylor for their great patience and love. Howard
sity of Texas at Dallas; Lisa L. Miller, Rutgers Univer- Gillman thanks Ellen, Arielle, and Danny. The good
sity; Jason Pierceson, University of Illinois Springfield; news for our families is that, if they are reading this,
Heather Marie Rice, University of Pittsburgh; Howard the volume is finally done. The bad news is that we
Schweber, University of Wisconsin—Madison; Chris are probably still down in the basement, obsessed by
Shortell, Portland State University; Steven Tauber, Uni- some other project on which we have already missed
versity of South Florida; Douglas Telling, Framingham a deadline.
Part 1 Themes
Chapter 1
Introduction to American Constitutionalism
On May 10, 1776, the Second Continental Congress Consider the controversy over Roe v. Wade (1973), the
passed what John Adams called “the most pee ant Supreme Court decision which held that the Constitu-
resolution that was ever taken in America.”! Th tion protects abortion rights. We might initially see that
dispute as limited to the proper interpretation of such
constitutional provisions as the due process clause of
the Fourteenth Amendment. On closer inspection, the
debate over Roe is rooted in more basic debates over
he nature of constitutionalism. Persons who support
that decision oftenspeak of “a living constitution” that
Americans paraded in joy on the streets of Philadel- incorporates social and political changes. Opponents
phia, eager to get on with the work of self-government. of Roe
R often champion * ‘strict construction,” and insist
Within a year, every colony but Rhode Island and Con-
necticut established a new constitution.
These celebrations highlight the American commit-
ment to constitutionalism. Government in the United ” Five basic questions ie beneath most constitutional
States is constitutional government. A written constitu- disputes.
‘tion, citizens of all political persuasions agree, is funda-
\mental law. Constitutional law is higher than ordinary 1. What is a constitution?
law made bylegislatures or common law announced 2. What purposes should constitutions serve?
by justices. Federal, state, and local authorities exer- 3. How should constitutions be interpreted?
cise power legitimately only when the constitution 4. How should constitutional disputes be resolved?
authorizes their actions and decisions. America’s com- 5. How are constitutions ratified, changed, and
At the spaceport we shook hands and Hoppy hung back after the
others had gone up the gangway. He put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry about this Adam thing, Harry."
"Forget it."
"I know how you feel, and I wish we could help. But you know how it
is...."
"Sure. I know how it is."
"The Administration's all wound up in the Rearmament Program.
Doubling the size of the space fleet. Everybody's edgy, wondering
whether there's going to be war with the Centauri crowd. Hardly
anyone remembers there is such a place as Fairyland. If we go back
and kick up a fuss, no telling what might happen. Most of the
Government budget is earmarked for defense. We might all find
ourselves among the unemployed."
I looked at him for a long time, until his eyes couldn't meet mine any
more. "Hoppy," I said quietly, "how long has it been since they
stopped thinking of Fairyland as a practical possibility?"
He shrugged, still not looking at me. "I don't know, Harry. Twelve,
maybe fifteen years, I suppose. There aren't many Happy Hooligans
around any more—at least they aren't working at it. They're all
getting rich off the defense effort."
"So they're just letting us drift along out here because it's easier than
disbanding the thing and trying to rehabilitate the Kids. That right?"
He nodded. "That's about it."
I took a deep breath, and shook my head. "Why, Hoppy? Why?"
"Oh, hell!" he blurted. "Let's face it, Harry. The whole idea just isn't
practical. It would never work."
"Never work!" I shouted. "It's been working for forty years!"
"Sure, sure—it works here. On an isolated desert planet a billion
miles from Earth, it works fine. But you can't remake the whole world
into a Fairyland, Harry. You just can't do it!"
There was a sinking, sickening feeling in my guts. "Okay, Hoppy.
Okay.... Blast off."
He stood looking at me for a moment, then turned and hurried up the
gangway.
Just as he reached the hatch, two figures emerged suddenly from
the ship. One wore the uniform of a Space Fleet astro-navigator. The
other was Adam-Two.
I ran up the gangway in time to hear the navigator telling Hoppy, "I
found him in the forward chart room."
"Adam!" I yelled. "What are you up to now?"
"I wanted to go along," he said. "I wanted to see if they were really
going to the cold side of Number One Sun."
I grabbed his arm and hustled him down to the mono-car. We slid
clear of the dock and about half a mile away I stopped the car to
watch them blast off.
Adam's eyes were wide with wonderment. "What makes it go?"
"Rocket motors," I said absently. I watched the ship, now just a mote
disappearing in the twilight sky. And I thought, There goes the tag
end of a twenty-year dream.
That was all it had ever been; I knew that now. Just a dream, and a
stupid one at that. I'd deluded myself even more than the Kids.
"What's a rocket motor?"
I looked at Adam. "What? What did you say?"
"I said, what's a rocket motor?"
"Who said anything about rocket motors?"
"You did. I asked you what makes it go and you said, rocket motors."
I frowned. "Forget it. Magic makes it go. Santa Claus magic."
"Okay, Daddy. Sure."
Something about his tone made me look sharply at him. He was
grinning at me; a cynical, adult-type grin. Yesterday it would have
made me furious. Today, for some crazy reason, it made me burst
out laughing. I laughed for quite a long time, and then as suddenly
as it began, it was over. I rumpled his hair and started the car.
"Adam," I said, "take a tip from your Daddy. Stop trying to find out
about things. Hang onto your dreams. Dreams are happy things, and
truth is sometimes pretty ugly...."
CHAPTER IV
That night after Taps I told Ruth about the Council meeting and
about my chat with Hoppy at the ship. She came and sat beside me
and, in the age-old manner of a loyal wife, assured me that
everything was going to be all right.
I stood up and began prowling around the room. "It's not all right.
The plain and simple truth is that we've thrown away twenty years on
this pipe dream. All for nothing!"
"You don't mean that, Harry. Not for nothing."
"The hell I don't! Remember how skeptical we were when we first
heard about this place? Then old Hogarth, Daddy-Two, came to see
us. Remember how we fell for it? We were going to be doing
something important! We were the vanguard of a world revolution—
the greatest thing since the invention of people. A great sociological
advancement.... What a laugh! Fairyland is nothing but a—an orphan
home! And mark my words, sooner or later they're going to come
and close the place down!"
Ruth patted the seat beside her. "Harry, come back and sit down."
I scowled at her. But I sat.
"Harry," she said, "I'm just a woman. I don't know much about world
revolutions or sociology. But I know one thing. No matter what
happens, these twenty years haven't been wasted. We've been
happy, Harry. And so have the Kids."
"I wonder.... Are they happy, Ruth? Do we even know what
happiness is?"
She smiled. "Darling, please don't go abstract on me. I know they're
happy."
"And what about Adam?"
She shook her head. "I suppose he's not. But the percentage is still
pretty high, don't you think? You said Fairyland is nothing more than
an orphan home, and maybe you're right. I guess I never really
thought of it any other way."
I stared at the woman who had been my wife for twenty-three years
as if I'd never seen her before. "You mean you never, not even at the
beginning, believed in the idea of Fairyland?"
"I just didn't think much about it, Harry. I believed in the Kids, that's
all. I figured that our job was to look after them and keep them happy
and well. We've done that job, and I think it's a pretty fine
achievement. I'm proud—for both of us!"
"Thanks," I said dully. "You know, Mommy, I'd almost forgotten...."
"Almost forgotten what, Daddy?"
I laughed shortly. "What it feels like to find out there's no Santa
Claus!"
I talked for six hours, until I was so hoarse my voice was cracking on
every other word. He took it all in stride, injecting a question here
and there, absorbing it all like an unemotional sponge. But when I
began to talk about war, he became a little upset. I explained how it
had begun as individual struggles for survival or supremacy in the
days of the cavemen, how it had evolved along with society into
struggles between families and tribes, then nations, and now—
between planets.
"But why do they kill each other, Daddy? That doesn't prove
anything."
I laughed. "Son, if I could answer that one, I'd be Daddy Number
One of the whole universe!"
We finally packed Adam off to bed in the spare room, after promising
him we'd talk some more the next night. I'd shown him my library and
told him he could come and read any time he liked, though of course
he mustn't take any books out of the house where the Kids might
see them.