The book discusses important cases that have shaped constitutional law in American history. The book is divided into fifteen sections. The first section discusses foundational cases on the constitutional structure. All the cases in part one occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries. The first case is Chisholm v. Georgia (1793). This case set the stage to the adoption of the 11th Amendment, where citizens of a certain state are barred from suing another state in the federal court. Marbury v. Madison (1803) is another case in this section that led to the foundation of giving the American courts power to annul illegal policies by the federal government.
The second part discusses the enumerated powers. Most of the cases in this section involve a conflict between state laws and federal acts. In such a dilemma, the Supreme Court is required to rule based on the constitutionality of the case. The book also discusses federalism-based limitations on congressional power in part three. The cases discussed in this section bars the federal government from exceeding its powers on respective states as granted under the constitution. The executive power and the separation of powers are also discussed in this section and form the basis of the modern constitution.
The book covers all the major topics that involve violations of people’s rights. For instance, in section eight, most of the cases covered involve discrimination based on race. In the case of Cooper v. Aaron (1958), the Supreme Court formed the basis of desegregation. The Court ruled that every person is equal before the law, and no state is able to bar any individual within its jurisdiction from enjoying equal protection of the laws. The book provides a basis on how constitutional law has developed over the years.
