Constitutional Landmarks

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. The Supreme Court and Judicial Power

   • Charles M. Lamb, Jacob R. Neiheisel

   Pages 1-48

3. The Presidency and Presidential Power

   • Charles M. Lamb, Jacob R. Neiheisel

   Pages 49-107

4. Congress and Congressional Power

   • Charles M. Lamb, Jacob R. Neiheisel

   Pages 109-179

5. Federalism and Federal-State Relations

   • Charles M. Lamb, Jacob R. Neiheisel

   Pages 181-221

6. Americans’ Economic Rights

   • Charles M. Lamb, Jacob R. Neiheisel

   Pages 223-262

7. Back Matter

   Pages 263-288

   PDF

This book examines leading Supreme Court decisions involving the powers of the Court, the president, and Congress, as well as cases addressing American federalism and Americans’ economic rights. By analyzing both the Court’s opinions and voting patterns from 1791 through 2018, this volume presents an overview of the role of the Supreme Court in the legal and political system of the United States throughout its entire history, regularly relying on Robert McCloskey’s theory of the nation’s three major constitutional eras and the Supreme Court Database in its organizational approach. Over 100 of the Supreme Court's most significant rulings, old and new, are covered and clarified in this volume to provide an objective, reliable, and valuable resource for students, academics, legal professionals, and the general public alike.

• Supreme Court
• law and courts
• US Constitution
• Constitutional law
• constitutional era
• separation of powers
• federalism
• landmark cases
• Contract Clause
• Congressional Power
• Congress
• Executive power
• Presidency
• Judicial Power
• Judiciary
• legal analysis
• Presidential Power
• Federal-State Relations
• Americans' Economic Rights
• American Law

​“This book is a clear-sighted and welcomed deep dive into the enduring debate over the role of the Supreme Court as a political institution in a separation of powers system. It is intentionally not a casebook, yet it explains those essential cases in Supreme Court history that have punctuated the development of constitutional doctrine for the nation. The authors have presented this material in an exceptionally effective way that is accessible to all students, not only those already steeped in the intricacies of Court decisions. As such, it serves a much-needed purpose at the undergraduate level of promoting a fuller understanding of the Court's position in the governmental system at a critical time when the judiciary is increasingly confronted, despite its traditional discomfort when placed in this role, with determining—or finessing—the resolution of divisive policy issues thrust upon it by the other two branches.” (—Nancy Kassop, Professor, New Platz SUNY, USA).

“This unique book presents an excellent overview of the Supreme Court's leading decisions on separation of powers, federalism, and economic rights from the nation's early history through the current Roberts Court. Not a constitutional law casebook, it relies on both a careful qualitative examination of these decisions, paying particular attention to over 100 of the Court’s most significant cases, in addition to offering the reader a reliable quantitative analysis of these decisions using the Supreme Court Database. Overall, Professors Lamb and Neiheisel make an important contribution to the literature on the High Court and the justices’ behavior, providing an objective, convenient, and valuable resource for students, academics, legal professionals, and the general public alike.” (—Sheldon Goldman, Distinguished Professor of Political Science Emeritus, University of Massachusetts-Amherst).

• Department of Political Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, USA

  Charles M. Lamb, Jacob R. Neiheisel

Charles M. Lamb is Research Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, USA

Jacob R. Neiheisel is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, USA

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