The Power of the States

The U.S. Constitution is more than 200 years old, yet the rights it grants the citizens of the United States are exercised every day. Without the Constitution, Americans could not speak out for the causes they hold most dear. Newspapers could not publish the stories that keep people informed about events in the United States and around the world. Just as important, Americans would not have representatives in Congress or the White House people for whom they vote in democratic elections. But what rights do the individual states have under the Constitution? This book explores those rights, how the Supreme Court has interpreted them over the last two centuries, and how they continue to affect the lives of people in every state in the Union.