Over the last forty years modern constitutional scholarship has concentrated on an analysis of rights, while principles of constitutional law concerning the structure of government have been largely down-played. The irony of this interpretive emphasis is that the body of the Constitution contains relatively little dealing directly with rights. Rather, it is primarily a blueprint for the establishment of a complex form of federal-democratic structure.
The Constitution as Political Structure emphasizes the central role served by the structural portions of the Constitution. Redish argues that these structural values were designed to provide the framework in which our rights-based system may flourish, and that judicial abandonment of these structural values threatens the very foundations of American political theory.
In its exposition of the textual and theoretical rationales for judicial enforcement of the structural values embodied in the Constitution, this book presents a principled alternative to the extremes of judicial abdication articulated by certain scholars and Justices on the one hand, and the result-oriented ideological involvement advocated in some quarters on the other. This work will be of great interest to scholars of law and political science.
Industry Reviews
"This is a wise book, full of compelling arguments and intereesting legal history. It could provide a good foundation for many appellate briefs addressing public policy issues."--The Appellate Practice Journal
"Redish's language is technical, but his writing is solid and bracing....Highly recommended for students of constitutional law at all levels."--Choice
"...Redish develops a thoughtful and thorough critique... Redish has produced a surprisingly satisfying textual analysis of the structural provisions of the Constitution. The satisfaction is surprising because his approach is so unfashionably traditional."--The Annals of the American Academy
"This is a wise book, full of compelling arguments and intereesting legal history. It could provide a good foundation for many appellate briefs addressing public policy issues."--The Appellate Practice Journal
"Redish's language is technical, but his writing is solid and bracing....Highly recommended for students of constitutional law at all levels."--Choice
"...Redish develops a thoughtful and thorough critique... Redish has produced a surprisingly satisfying textual analysis of the structural provisions of the Constitution. The satisfaction is surprising because his approach is so unfashionably traditional."--The Annals of the American Academy
