In this new edition of the standard text in the field of American constitutional history, Herman Belz has brought the most up-to-date scholarship to bear on discussions from the adoption of the Constitution through the retirement of Justice Brennan and the confirmation of David Scouter to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The hallmarks of this authoritative text have been strengthened throughout: its clear exposition of judicial rulings and their significance, its even-handed discussion of larger trends in American constitutional history, and a broad approach that brings politics and social developments to bear on constitutional cases.

The Seventh Edition also takes account of major constitutional developments of the 1980s: the constitutional implications of divided government-the situation in which rival parties respectively control the presidency and the Congress; the controversies over abortion, affirmative action, and issues of free speech; the general debate over original intent and constitutional change.