The Bill of Rights

A Bicentennial Assessment

Edited by Gary C. Bryner & A. Don Sorensen

Subjects: Philosophy Of Religion
Hardcover : 9780791422250, 280 pages, August 1994

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Table of contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One: Theories of Rights

I Interpreting the Bill of Rights: Alternative Conceptions of Rights
—Carl Wellman

II Civil Rights and the U.S. Constitution
—Rex Martin

III Interpreting the Bill of Rights: What? Who? Why?
—Christopher Wolfe

Part Two: The Current State of Rights

IV The Religion Clauses: Some Bicentennial Thoughts on an Important Corner of the Constitution
—Rex E. Lee

V Abortion, Ethics, and Constitutional Interpretation
—Leslie P. Francis

VI Abortion and Equality under the Law
—Camille S. Williams

VII Toward a Feminist Regrounding of Constitutional Law
—Gayle Binion

VIII Minority Rights under the Constitution
—Gary C. Bryner
Part Three: The Future of Rights

IX Rights and Human Flourishing
—A. D. Sorensen

X The Future of Rights
—Gary C. Bryner and A. D. Sorensen

Index

Description

This book explores the state of rights in America, examines their roots, assesses their effectiveness, discusses their future, and considers how the experience of the U.S. in defining and securing rights can serve as an important source of ideas for other countries. Written by philosophers, legal scholars, and political scientists, the essays contained here consider how well constitutional rights have accomplished their purpose of securing basic liberties over the past 200 years and how well suited they are to protect our individual rights in the future, perhaps the next 200 years.

At Brigham Young University's Political Science Department, Gary C. Bryner is Associate Professor. Bryner has co-authored Constitutionalism and Rights and co-edited The Constitution and the Regulation of Society also published by SUNY Press. At Brigham Young University's Political Science Department, A. Don Sorensen is Professor.