The HarperCollins College Outline Constitution of the United States

This is a small, handy document that contains the text of the Constitution of the United States in full, as well as several other major formative documents: The Virginia Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and a collection of case law summaries that relate to major constitutional issues in history. The book also contains an essay on the origins of the Constitution, including a brief overview of the Revolutionary War, the failures of the Articles of Confederation, the Convention of 1787, and the ratification process. After the text of the documents is a brief essay on the role of the Supreme Court and the doctrine of judicial review. Perhaps most surprising to most Americans is that the powr of judicial review is not a constitutionally-granted power to the Supreme Court, but rather develops out of the English common law tradition and the early Federalist thinkers. This text concludes with a brief summary of major federal offices, qualifications for office and duties assigned to the offices. It also lists presidents, Supreme Court justices, lists of states with dates of settlement and entering the union, and other handy facts and lists. This is a good book to have handy - every household in the United States should have a copy of the Constitution.