State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience - 5th Edition - Jeffrey S. Sutton

State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience 5th Edition Jeffrey S. Sutton ISBN 9798317700904

State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience, Fifth Edition by Jeffrey Sutton and Stephen McAllister offers an in-depth exploration of the dynamic and increasingly important world of state constitutions. This edition introduces a new section on Positive Rights, highlighting the unique feature of state constitutions that sometimes impose affirmative obligations on legislatures. It also adds four new chapters: Environmental Protection, Legislative Power, Executive Power, and Judicial Power.

The casebook situates state constitutions within the broader federal system, emphasizing the interplay between state and federal law. By comparing and contrasting federal provisions with their state counterparts—and examining state-specific provisions with no federal analogue—the text illuminates how state constitutions provide independent rights, offer innovative solutions, and influence national constitutional developments. Central themes include the expansion and interpretation of liberty and property rights, the design of political representation, and the division of power between local, state, and national governments.

The Fifth Edition incorporates contemporary issues, including state court responses to gerrymandering after Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) and abortion rights debates following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022). It also explores structural aspects of state government, such as judicial selection, executive powers, administrative law, taxation, public finance, and local government authority.

Features and Benefits for Professors and Students:

• Comprehensive coverage of both individual rights and governmental structure in state constitutions

• Integrates historical and contemporary cases from nearly all 50 states

• Highlights state courts as innovators in constitutional law, often preceding federal developments

• Encourages active student engagement with class discussions and state-specific research

• Prepares students to navigate and apply state constitutional law in practical and litigation contexts

This casebook equips students to fully understand and analyze state constitutional law, recognizing the growing significance of state courts in shaping American constitutional jurisprudence.

State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience 5th Edition Jeffrey S. Sutton ISBN 9798317700904, 979-8317700904 & 9798317701284

Authors:
Jeffrey S. Sutton
Stephen R. McAllister