Jackson, Tushnet, and their contributors, distinguished jurists and legal scholars from around the world, seek to define the field of constitutional law, sometimes expressly but more often by illustrating the way in which each writer thinks about comparative constitutional law. Viewed as a whole, the collection points to common constitutional themes even though how nations responded to these issues differed substantially based on different histories, traditions, and experiences.

Three common themes emerge from the essays. First discussed are the relationships of...

Federalism: A Reference Guide to the United States Constitution provides a thorough examination of this significant and distinctive part of the U.S. constitutional system, documenting its role in major domestic constitutional controversies in every period of American history.

Although the book is organized historically rather than doctrinally, the marked evolutions of important areas of doctrine are addressed over time. These subject areas include the scope of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, the scope of Congress's powers under the Fourteenth and other...