Hollow Core of Constitutional Theory

Donald L. Drakeman is Distinguished Research Professor in the Program on Constitutional Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and a Fellow of the Centre for Health Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Cambridge. His works have been cited by the Supreme Courts of the United States and the Philippines. His books on the Constitution include Church, State, and Original Intent (Cambridge, 2009), a Choice Outstanding Academic Title.

• 1. The Framers and Contemporary Constitutional Theory; 2. The Framers' Intentions: Who, What, and Where; 3. Original Methods and the Limits of Interpretation; 4. Original Methods Updating; 5. The Semantic Summing Problem; 6. Is Corpus Linguistics Better than Flipping a Coin?; 7. The Framers' Intentions Can Solve the Semantic Summing Problem; 8. Interpretation and Sociological Legitimacy; 9. Noninterpretive Decisions; 10. Conclusion.

'Drakeman's treatment and criticisms of constitutional theory - whether of originalism or non-originalism - are unfailingly fair and insightful. His arguments for incorporating the framers' intent into constitutional interpretation today are historically rich and conceptually cogent. A penetrating book sure to be of great interest to the specialist and general reader alike.' Marc O. DeGirolami, Cary Fields Professor of Law, St. John's University School of Law