The Constitution: Perspectives on Contemporary American Democracy Four articles expressing the views of nine prominent United States citizens about the Constitution provide a context for reflecting on the meaning of the Constitution in present-day America. In "Why Has the Constitution Endured So Long?" Don Edwards, chairman of the House Civil and Constitutional Rights Subcommittee, discusses why the Constitution worked when the Articles of Confederation did not, and explains why the Constitution has endured for two hundred years. In "States' Rights and the Constitution" Mario Cuomo, governor of New York, and Newt Gringrich, a member of the House of Representatives from Georgia, debate the principle of federalism and its effect on the ability of the state to govern. In "Civil Liberties and the Constitution" Arthur Spitzer, the director of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, discusses the importance of protecting the rights of minorities. In "Five Prominent Americans Reflect on the Constitution" Strom Thurmond, Judy Goldsmith, Phyllis Schafly, Barbara Jordan, and Tom Lantos discuss how the Constitution has influenced their personal and professional lives and explain what, if any, changes they would make. A case study "Extending the Right to Vote" examines how the 19th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution were ratified. Although both amendments deal with extending voting rights, the ways in which they became part of our Constitution were very different. Three classroom activities are suggested and the publication concludes with a copy of the full text of the Constitution. (APG) |
