The Bill of Rights in Modern America

The Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights is an occasion for celebration. It is also an opportunity to review the role of the Bill of Rights in American life and constitutional order. The essays in this volume, informed by a historical perspective, focus on contemporary issues and explore the current understanding of the Bill of Rights. The essays and the contributors are: ¥ ÒRights Consciousness in American History,Ó Daniel T. Rodgers ¥ ÒThe Explosion and Erosion of Rights,Ó Gary L. McDowell ¥ ÒSymbolic Speech and the First Amendment,Ó Paul L. Murphy ¥ ÒChurch and State: The Religion Clauses,Ó Melvin I. Urofsky ¥ ÒPublic Safety and the Right to Bear Arms,Ó Robert J. Cottrol and Raymond T. Diamond ¥ ÒThe Enigmatic Place of Property Rights in Modern Constitutional Thought,Ó James W. Ely, Jr. ¥ ÒReversing the Revolution: Rights of the Accused in a Conservative Age,Ó David J. Bodenhamer ¥ ÒPolice Practices and the Bill of Rights,Ó Laurence A. Benner and Michal R. Belknap ¥ ÒThe ÔCruel and Unusual PunishmentÕ Clause: A Limit on the Power to Punish or Constitutional Rhetoric?,Ó Joseph L. Hoffmann ¥ ÒEqual Protection and Affirmative Action,Ó Hermal Belz ¥ ÒA Ninth Amendment for TodayÕs Constitution,Ó Randy E. Barnett ¥ ÒOf Floors and Ceilings: The New Federalism and State Bills of Rights,Ó Kermit L. Hall