This is a superb, pathbreaking book that demonstrates the dual nature of constitutional change. Through a subtle analysis of congressional-presidential politics, Whittington convincingly argues that the process by which constitutional meaning is defined is not solely the purview of the Supreme Court and lesser courts. He shows that the Constitution gains meaning as a result of the politics of construction engaged in by political actors seeking political and policy objectives...[Constitutional Construction ] is must reading for a wide range of scholars of American institutions and political development, law and courts, history, and American political thought.
Ronald Kahnn Political Science Review
Constitutional Construction is a fine example of institutional analysis...displays a fine feel for political nuance and sensitivity to institutional subtlety...shows that is possible to do exceptional political analysis without it becoming legalistic scholarship...[and is] exceptionally well written...Whittington's book demonstrates that political science profits handsomely from history. Political science without history isn't very good political science. And history without political science often amounts to little more than storytelling. The quality of this book's history is every bit as good as the quality of its political science.
Law and Politics Book Review - Craig Ducat
This book is an important addition to modern constitutional theory. Whittington brings to life an old but not well understood idea—that constitutional development is the product of judicial interpretation and binding rules and of political practice.
Constitutional Construction offers renewed vigor to a tired field and should provoke some fresh thinking by constitutional scholars.
Weekly Standard - Jeremy Rabkin
Whittington's book is among the most important recently published about constitutional theory and history.
Journal of Interdisciplinary History - Mark Tushnet
Constitutional Construction provides a needed corrective to the works of constitutional theorists who focus solely on jurisprudential issues...Whittington concludes that scholars need to look beyond the courts and recognize the multifaceted nature of the Constitution.
Journal of Southern History - Michael Ross
A major theoretical contribution to the perennial debate on the...fundamental, recurrent questions in American constitutional law.
Humane Studies Review - James E. Bond
Mr. Whittington sees the Constitution not as an immutable legal document but as something more fluid and more mysterious, a powerful and authoritative force which constantly influences political outcomes while itself being subject to politics. Battles over constitutional construction are of course political battles...[and] Mr. Whittington has interesting things to say about the way these conflicts play out.
Washington Times - Peter A. Jay
This is a superb, pathbreaking book that demonstrates the dual nature of constitutional change. Through a subtle analysis of congressional-presidential politics, Whittington convincingly argues that the process by which constitutional meaning is defined is not solely the purview of the Supreme Court and lesser courts. He shows that the Constitution gains meaning as a result of the politics of construction engaged in by political actors seeking political and policy objectives...[Constitutional Construction ] is must reading for a wide range of scholars of American institutions and political development, law and courts, history, and American political thought.
American Political Science Review - Ronald Kahn
Constitutional Construction provides a needed corrective to the works of constitutional theorists who focus solely on jurisprudential issues...Whittington concludes that scholars need to look beyond the courts and recognize the multifaceted nature of the Constitution.
Journal of Southern History
Whittington's book is among the most important recently published about constitutional theory and history.
Journal of Interdisciplinary History
A major theoretical contribution to the perennial debate on the...fundamental, recurrent questions in American constitutional law.
This is a superb, pathbreaking book that demonstrates the dual nature of constitutional change. Through a subtle analysis of congressional-presidential politics, Whittington convincingly argues that the process by which constitutional meaning is defined is not solely the purview of the Supreme Court and lesser courts. He shows that the Constitution gains meaning as a result of the politics of construction engaged in by political actors seeking political and policy objectives...[Constitutional Construction ] is must reading for a wide range of scholars of American institutions and political development, law and courts, history, and American political thought.
American Political Science Review
Constitutional Construction is a fine example of institutional analysis...displays a fine feel for political nuance and sensitivity to institutional subtlety...shows that is possible to do exceptional political analysis without it becoming legalistic scholarship...[and is] exceptionally well written...Whittington's book demonstrates that political science profits handsomely from history. Political science without history isn't very good political science. And history without political science often amounts to little more than storytelling. The quality of this book's history is every bit as good as the quality of its political science.
Law and Politics Book Review
This book is an important addition to modern constitutional theory. Whittington brings to life an old but not well understood idea—that constitutional development is the product of judicial interpretation and binding rules and of political practice.
Constitutional Construction offers renewed vigor to a tired field and should provoke some fresh thinking by constitutional scholars.
Mr. Whittington sees the Constitution not as an immutable legal document but as something more fluid and more mysterious, a powerful and authoritative force which constantly influences political outcomes while itself being subject to politics. Battles over constitutional construction are of course political battles...[and] Mr. Whittington has interesting things to say about the way these conflicts play out.
Whittington's book demonstrates-as if a demonstration was necessary-
that political science profits handsomely from history. Political science
without history usually isn't very good political science. And history
without political science often amounts to little more than storytelling.
The quality of this book's history is every bit as good as the quality of its
political science. However, sometimes-in the first chapter, particularly-I
think eloquence gets in the way of understanding. The chapter-length case
studies and the fine concluding chapter do much to burn off some of the
initial fog. To say that this volume produces a model of constitutional
construction is perhaps to convey an expectation of too much precision.
There are qualifications aplenty and not a little ambiguity. Whittington
gives us a model of constitutional construction in the sense, I suppose, that
Richard Neustadt gave us a model of presidential power, although Whittington
provides a lot more support.
