Understanding State Constitutions

G. Alan Tarr is Director of the Center for State Constitutional Studies and Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University at Camden. He is the author or editor of seven books, including Constitutional Politics in the States, Judicial Process and Judicial Policymaking, and State Supreme Courts in State and Nation.

• Introduction1Ch. 1The Distinctiveness of State Constitutionalism6Ch. 2Explaining State Constitutional Development29Ch. 3Eighteenth-Century State Constitutionalism60Ch. 4Nineteenth-Century State Constitutionalism94Ch. 5Twentieth-Century State Constitutionalism136Ch. 6State Constitutional Interpretation173Bibliography211Index237

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1999 "Essential reading to those interested in state constitutionalism, but more ambitiously it also serves as an introduction and invitation to those who may not have paid adequate attention to the states... It offers an excellent starting place... The book should be at the center of a revival of interest in federalism and the states."--Keith E. Whittington, The Law and Politics Book Review "A much-needed, concise book that fills the vacuum created by a scholarly focus on the federal Constitution... [The book] provides extensive information for scholars who choose to follow Tarr's lead."--Barry Pyle, Perspectives on Political Science "[Tarr] successfully reviews constitutional development in all 50 states--a daunting task considering that most states have had a number of constitutions... This examination is a must read for students of state politics and policy."--Choice