Fault Lines in the Constitution : : the Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect us Today

Locations
Call Number: Y 342.73 Le, Kids Book / Nonfiction / Politics & Government / Levinson, Cynthia
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y 342.73 Le	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y 342.73 Le	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Nonfiction / Politics & Government / Levinson, Cynthia	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Nonfiction / Politics & Government / Levinson, Cynthia	4-week checkout	Due 04-30-2024

It takes two to tango (bicameralism) -- Big states, little say (the Senate) -- Delete! (presidential veto) -- Majority rules, except when it doesn't (supermajority rules) -- How to cherry-pick voters (gerrymandering) -- Taxation without representation (the District of Columbia) -- "I'll just do it myself!: : "Oh, no, you won't" (direct democracy) -- Who can vote? How do you know? (voting rights) -- Who gets to represent you? (restrictions on running for congress) -- Who gets a shot at the Oval Office? (restrictions on running for president) -- Time's up! (presidential term limits) -- The college with no courses or credits (the Electoral College) -- Knock, knock. Is anybody there? (continuity in government) -- Is there a leader in the room? (presidential succession) -- The duck's in charge. January 20th (inauguration day) -- At war (emergency powers) -- At war with bugs (habeas corpus) -- We can change it, right? (amending the Constitution) -- Grading the Constitution -- Now what? -- Post-amble.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

A guide for the (young) informed voter submitted by ruxandra on June 27, 2019, 8:03pm Although this is a book for Young Adults, a senior (naturalized) citizen like me can learn from it. The Constitution is viewed as the result of debates, compromises, personalities and prejudices, a starting point rather than the finished product. As such,according to the authors, it is our duty to make it work better.
To help with this process, each section ends with "other ways" (how other countries deal with similar problems) and what's next ('"The Story Continues").
As a companion book, for older readers, I recommend Jill Lepore's "These Truths: A History of the United States", which brings to life in fascinating detail those debates, compromises, personalities and prejudices involved in writing the Constitution, without the didacticism of the "other ways" and what's next.

Both books are, I think, a must read for conscientious voters, young and old.