Fault lines in the Constitution : the framers, their fights, and the flaws that affect us today

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Title:

Fault lines in the Constitution : the framers, their fights, and the flaws that affect us today

Author:

Levinson, Cynthia, author.

Levinson, Sanford, 1941- author.

Summary:

Gridlock! Gerrymandering! The Electoral college! How did our government get so complicated? As it turns out, many of the issues we struggle with today have their roots in the creation of the United States Constitution. Husband-and-wife team Cynthis Levinson and Sanford Levinson take us back to the beginnings of this document and show how these fault lines were first introduced - and how their unintended consequences continue to affect us today. The Framers of the Constitution, they remind us, faced many of the same challenges and disputes that we do in the twenty-first century. Sometimes there was conflict, sometimes compromise - and the Framers met most of the challenges with great skill and foresight. Some issues, however, were just too complex or controversial to settle in such a brief time. Today we are still suffering from the consequences of disputes and decisions made in an overheated room in 1787, as a new form of government for our country was being created. -- From dust jacket.

Audience:

1110L Lexile.

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Preamble -- How bills become (Or, more likely, don't become) law: It takes two to tango (bicameralism) -- Big states, little say (the Senate) -- Delete! (presidential veto) -- Majority rules, except when it doesn't (supermajority rules) -- Hello, can you hear me?: How to cherry-pick voters (gerrymandering) -- Taxation without representation (the District of Columbia) -- "I'll just do it myself!" "Oh no you won't" (direct democracy) -- If America threw a party, would you be let in?: Who can vote? How do you know? (voting rights) -- Who gets to represent you? (restrictions on running for congress) -- Who gets a shot at the Oval Office? (restrictions on running for president) -- Time's up! (presidential term limits) -- "Hurrah! I'm 18. Finally I can vote for president.": The college with no courses or credits (the Electoral College) -- Who's running America?: Knock, knock. Is anybody there? (continuity in government) -- Is there a leader in the room? (presidential succession) -- The duck's in charge. January 20th (inauguration day) -- Emergency! Emergency!: At war (emergency powers) -- At war with bugs (habeas corpus) -- We can change it, right? (amending the Constitution) -- Keeping pace with the times: Grading the Constitution -- Now what? -- Post-amble --

Physical Description:

235 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader Level 8.8.

Corporate Subject:

United States. Constitution -- Juvenile literature.

Subject Term:

Constitutional law -- Juvenile literature.

Civics -- Juvenile literature.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Politics and government -- Juvenile literature.

Author(s):

Levinson, Sanford, 1941-

Publisher:

Peachtree Publishers,

Publication Date:

2017

ISBN:

9781561459452

Publication Information:

Atlanta, Georgia : Peachtree Publishers, [2017]

Award Note:

Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth 2017

School Library Journal's Best Books, 2017

NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Recommended Book, 2018

Call Number:

J 342.73 LEVINSO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003368381	Juvenile Nonfiction	342.73 LEVINSO	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

An essential book on the U.S. Constitution for everyone grappling with today's most urgent political issues. From the award-winning duo of Cynthia and Sanford Levinson.

? Four Starred Reviews ?

?Throw out the high school textbooks and put this outstanding book in the hands of the next generation!? ? The Booklist Reader

?An excellent introduction to the strengths and weaknesses of our founding document?especially enlightening for those who don?t yet understand how our government is supposed to work.? ? New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson

School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Books of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Books of the Year
Best Books of the Year ?Bank Street College of Education
Parents? Choice Gold Award

Cynthia Levinson, a noted children?s nonfiction author, has teamed up with her husband Sanford Levinson, one of the nation?s foremost constitutional scholars, to address the fact that many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in one place?the U.S. Constitution.

Their award-winning book, Fault Lines in the Constitution , takes readers back to the creation of this historic document and discusses how contemporary problems were first introduced?and then they offer possible solutions. Think of timely subjects such as voting rights, presidential pardons, executive and emergency powers, the Electoral College, gerrymandering, even the Senate. Many of us take these features in our system for granted. But they came about through haggling in an overheated room in 1787, and we?re still experiencing the ramifications.

Each chapter in this timely and thoughtful exploration of the Constitution?s creation begins with a story?all but one of them true?that connects directly back to a section of the document that forms the basis of our society and government. Informative sidebars and graphics run throughout along with a timeline and bibliography.

Discussion Guide available!

Visit the blog at www.faultlinesintheconstitution.com.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-8-Gerrymandering. Filibusters. The electoral college. The authors tackle these and other constitutional issues in this insightful work. The book functions differently than a straightforward explanatory text on the U.S. Constitution. Rather, the authors examine the fissures and issues that arise when it comes to the actual application of the Constitution: Why does a small state have the same power in the Senate as a state with exponentially higher population? How can certain stipulations in the Constitution deter otherwise popular legislation? The text discusses current conflicts, such as the irony of "Taxation Without Representation" in regard to Washington, DC, and Senate filibusters that kill potentially popular legislation before it can even be voted on. Historical situations are also examined, such as the Sedition Act of 1918 that barred anti-war speech during World War One. The book provides readers with a broad context of constitutional law; the text explores how various parts of the U.S. Constitution compare with individual state constitutions and other nations' constitutions. The authors not only raise timely issues, but provide readers with options of how a seemingly obsolete stipulation can be amended. Many examples of amended laws, e.g., the repeal of Prohibition, illustrate the evolving nature of the law. At times, the authors seem to express their support of a more direct democracy. They also provide a "report card" on the Constitution's ability to handle its objectives, such as "Form a More Perfect Union" and "Promote the General Welfare." Pons's helpful illustrations resemble infographics, pulling out startling facts from the text and repackaging them visually. VERDICT Much food for thought on the application and relevance of many of the Constitution's stipulations. Essential for class discussions, debate teams, and reports.-Jeffrey Meyer, Mount Pleasant Public Library, IA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Cynthia Levinson (The Youngest Marcher) and her constitutional law professor husband hone in on select aspects of the United States Constitution; after scrutiny of the Preamble's intentions and some of the document's problematic provisions, they call urgently for reform, giving it an overall C+ grade. (Sanford Levinson's 2006 book, Our Undemocratic Constitution, navigated similar terrain for an adult readership.) The authors focus on how bills become law, who can vote or be elected to office, succession provisions, and amending the Constitution; the conundrum of the Electoral College merits its own section. Interest-piquing anecdotes open each chapter, the effects of the Constitution's provisions are dramatically summarized in poster-like illustrations, and the ensuing discussions-a review of the Framers' concerns in 1787, analyses of various "Big Problems," and possible solutions found in other operating constitutions-are both cogent and highly readable ("We continue to operate under the terms of their last-minute flip-flop"). This thought-provoking and exceptionally topical work concludes with a debate between the Levinsons over the best way to accomplish much-needed changes to America's most basic governing document. Ages 10-14. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Introduction	p. 6
Preamble	p. 13
Part I How Bills Become (Or, More Likely, Don't Become) Law	p. 22
Chapter 1 It Takes Two to Tango / Bicameralism	p. 23
Chapter 2 Big States, Little Say / The Senate	p. 32
Chapter 3 Delete! / Presidential Veto	p. 44
Chapter 4 Majority Rules-Except When It Doesn't / Supermajority Rules	p. 52
Part II Hello, Can You Hear Me?	p. 61
Chapter 5 How to Cherry-pick Voters / Gerrymandering	p. 62
Chapter 6 Taxation without Representation / The District of Columbia	p. 76
Chapter 7 "I'll Just Do It Myself!" "Oh No You Won't." / Direct Democracy	p. 83
Part III If America Threw a Party, Would You Be Let In?	p. 87
Chapter 8 Who Can Vote? How Do You Know? / Voting Rights	p. 88
Chapter 9 Who Gets to Represent You? / Restrictions on Running for Congress	p. 97
Chapter 10 Who Gets a Shot at the Oval Office? / Restrictions on Running for President	p. 104
Chapter 11 Time's Up! / Presidential Term Limits	p. 110
Part IV "Hurrah! I'm 18. Finally I Can Vote for the President." "Not So Fast."	p. 118
Chapter 12 The College with No Courses or Credits / The Electoral College	p. 119
Part V Who's Running America?	p. 135
Chapter 13 Knock Knock. Is Anybody There? / Continuity in Government	p. 136
Chapter 14 Is There a Leader in the Room? / Presidential Succession	p. 148
Chapter 15 The Duck's in Charge. January 20 / Inauguration Day	p. 157
Part VI Emergency! Emergency!	p. 163
Chapter 16 At War / Emergency Powers	p. 164
Chapter 17 At War with Bugs / Habeas Corpus	p. 173
Chapter 18 We Can Change It, Right? / Amending the Constitution	p. 183
Part VII Keeping Pace with the Times	p. 193
Chapter 19 Grading the Constitution	p. 194
Chapter 20 Now What?	p. 202
Post-Amble
Timeline	p. 210
Acknowledgments	p. 213
Notes	p. 214
Bibliography	p. 224
Articles and Amendments	p. 226
Index	p. 227

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Publisher's Weekly Review

Table of Contents