This is the second edition of Professor Mark Tushnet's excellent short critical introduction to the history and current meaning of the United States' Constitution. It is organized around two themes: first, the US Constitution is old, short, and difficult to amend. These characteristics have made constitutional 'interpretation' - especially by the US Supreme Court - the primary mechanism for adapting the Constitution to ever-changing reality. Second, the Constitution creates a structure of political opportunities that allows political actors, including political parties, to pursue the...