Constitutional Rights and Powers of the People

An examination of a number of questions related to the power of ordinary Americans under the constitution. The book includes historical material, for example, the notorious Dred Scott case, and offers an insight into central problems of constitutional history, theory and law.

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American constitutionalism rests on premise of popular sovereignty, but questions remain about how the "people" and their rights and powers fit into the constitutional design. This text examines a number of questions: who is included among the people; how are the people politically configured; how may the people act; and how do the people relate to government? The book includes historical material from the antebellum period, for example, the notorious Dred Scott case and the writings and speeches of Frederick Douglass. It offers an insight into central problems of constitutional history, theory and law.