American Constitutional Law provides a comprehensive account of the nation’s defining document. Based on the premise that the study of the Constitution and constitutional law is of fundamental importance to understanding the principles, prospects, and problems of America, this text puts current events in terms of what those who initially drafted and ratified the Constitution sought to accomplish. The authors examine the constitutional thought of the founders, as well as interpretations of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, Congress, the President, lower federal courts, and state judiciaries. Now fully updated, the eighth edition of this classic volume focuses on individuals’ rights and responsibilities and incorporates nine new cases, including District of Columbia v. Heller , In re Marriage Cases , Kennedy v. Louisiana , and Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 . Also available in its eighth edition from authors Ralph A. Rossum and G. Alan Tarr: American Constitutional Law, Volume I: The Structure of Government (Westview Press, ISBN 978-0-8133-4477-5).