The U.S. Constitution and Comparative Constitutional Law

The U.S. Constitution and Comparative Constitutional Law Synopsis

With an Introduction by Justice Alito, this Comparative Constitutional Law casebook stands apart from other casebooks. It focuses on the 15 constitutional democracies in the G-20 Nations: 1) the United States, 2) the United Kingdom, 3) France, 4) Germany, 5) Japan, 6) Italy, 7) India, 8) Canada, 9) Australia, 10) Brazil, 11) South Korea, 12) South Africa, 13) Indonesia, 14) Mexico, and 15) the European Union. The G-20 Nations together comprise 85% of the world's GDP and two-thirds of the world's population. Thus, this casebook maintains a better sense of relevance than similar books, which often focus heavily on esoteric jurisdictions. It is also less Euro-centric than competing books; most chapters include cases from Brazil, Mexico, and India. Substantively, this casebook compares the constitutional law of the selected countries with respect to fourteen topics: 1) constitutionalism - constitutional history, constitution-making, amendment, and secession rules; 2) the emergence and nature of judicial review; 3) the separation of powers, bicameralism, and comparative administrative law; 4) federalism; 5) bills of rights, birthright freedom and equality, and human dignity; 6) equal protection of the laws; 7) freedom of expression; 8) freedom of religion; 9) civil, criminal, and appellate procedure; 10) protection of economic liberties; 11) positive social entitlements and state action; and, finally, 12) constitutional guarantees of democracy. It concludes with ideas that are of particular relevance to U.S. constitutional law. Pedagogically, this casebook contains more cases and fewer law review articles than competing books, making it teacher-friendly. It can be taught in a three-day weekly format, in a two-day weekly format, or in a once-a-week seminar format.

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