Understanding Law as a Democratic Institution Through US Constitutional Development

Gillman, Howard, Mark Graber, and Keith Whittington. 2012 . American Constitutionalism: Volume I: Structures of Government . New York: Oxford University Press. Gillman, Howard, Mark Graber, and Keith Whittington. 2012 . American Constitutionalism: Volume II: Rights and Liberties . New York: Oxford University Press. This essay reviews Howard Gillman, Mark Graber, and Keith Whittington, American Constitutionalism: Volume I: Structures of Government (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), and Howard Gillman, Mark Graber, and Keith Whittington, American Constitutionalism: Volume II: Rights and Liberties (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012). It defends developmental approaches in the study of US constitutional law. It explains how law has been studied in political science, illustrating how political development became part of the story. It outlines how American political development approaches work when applied to law, noting how studying law transforms these approaches. It notes the insights produced through the blending of American political development and constitutional law, explaining how these insights provide more leverage for understanding the role of courts as democratic institutions. The essay closes by discussing the promising directions these approaches suggest, defending their value beyond political science.