Traditional in scope, with full coverage of both structure of government issues (separation of powers and federalism) and individual rights, Constitutional Law: Structure and Rights in Our Federal System nevertheless emphasizes structural issues more so than many other Constitutional Law casebooks. The Sixth Edition continues the coverage of Congressional powers, including enforcement of civil rights, and adds an extended section on the war on terrorism and related enemy combatant cases.
Individual rights are discussed in context and within chapters focusing on traditional doctrinal categories, such as economic and social rights, rights of conscience and expression, and rights in the public arena.
In the Sixth Edition, the electoral districting and reapportionment materials has been omitted and the congressional enforcement of civil rights has been relocated.
Brief notes and comments guide students through the cases and provoke independent thought. Hypothetical problems then ask students to analyze concrete and realistic constitutional issues, thereby enabling them to develop a better understanding of the underlying theory and doctrine.
In a discussion of federalism, the United States Supreme Court cited this casebook in Printz v. United States concerning the Brady Act.
