Examines eight crises from 1787 to the twentieth century--such as the 1798 Sedition Act and "Plessy v. Ferguson"--that called into question the rights of the federal government, discussing the opposing viewpoints that surrounded each event and presenting over fifty primary documents.
Alphabetically arranged entries provide brief biographical profiles of important historical figures who shaped the debates over government during the Jacksonian era.
Describes the histories and purposes of the Ninth Amendment that addresses the rights of the people not specifically enumerated in the Constitution, and the Tenth Amendment which defines the powers of the Federal government and the powers of the state government.
Explores the rights of individual states according to the United States Constitution, examines the ways in which these rights have been interpreted by the Supreme Court over the last two centuries, and looks at the impact of state rights on people throughout the nation.
Examines each section of the Constitution and its amendments, also providing a concise overview of the field of constitutional law as it is applied around the world and in various forms of government.
Examines the concept of federalism, a system in which powers are shared between state and federal governments, looks at the role of federalism in the history of the United States, and discusses related people, court cases, and events.
Examines the debate waged between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the six months preceding the ratification of the Constitution over the political structure of the new nation and the limits of federal power and states' rights.
Jefferson, Marshall, and the rise of presidential democracy
Ackerman, Bruce A
2005
The author presents a comprehensive examination of the presidential election of 1800 that resulted in a tie between Republicans Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr against their Federalist opponent, and the failure of the founders to fully deal with the rise of the two-party system.
