Public Opinion and Constitutional Controversy

Public Opinion and Constitutional Controversy is the first book to provide a comprehensive analysis of American public opinion on the key constitutional controversies of the twentieth century: desegregation, school prayer, abortion, the death penalty, gay rights, and national security, to name just a few. The chapters systematically examine each controversy, explaining how public attitudes have shifted over time, especially in the wake of prominent Supreme Court decisions. The book exposes the evolving structure of mass opinion on issues that are often considered the exclusive province of lawyers, judges, and other elites. Book jacket.

Nathaniel Persily is Professor of Law and Political Science at Columbia Law School. Jack Citrin is the Heller Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Patrick J. Egan is Assistant Professor of Politics at New York University.