Nathaniel Persily is a Professor of Law and Political Science at Columbia Law School and Director of the Center on Law and Politics at Columbia University.

Jack Citrin is Professor and Director, Institute of Governmental Studies of Political Science at University of California, Berkeley.

Patrick J. Egan is Assistant Professor of Politics at New York University.

• Introduction


• 1: Michael Murakami: Desegregation


• 2: Amy Lerman: The Rights of the Accused


• 3: Alison Gash and Angelo Gonzales: School Prayer


• 4: Samantha Luks and Mike Salamone: Abortion


• 5: John Hanley: The Death Penalty


• 6: Serena Mayeri, Ryan Brown, Nathaniel Persily, and Son-Ho Kim: Gender Equality


• 7: Loan Le and Jack Citrin: Affirmative Action


• 8: Peter Hanson: Flag Burning


• 9: Megan Mullin: Federalism


• 10: Patrick J. Egan, Nathaniel Persily, and Kevin Wallsten: Gay Rights


• 11: Josh Green and Matt Jarvis: The Right to Die


• 12: Janice Nadler, Shari Seidman Diamond, and Matthew Patton: Government Takings of Private Property


• 13: Darshan Goux, Patrick J. Egan, and Jack Citrin: The War on Terror and Civil Liberties


• 14: Manoj Mate and Matt Wright: The 2000 Election Controversy

This work provides an analysis of American public opinion on the key constitutional controversies of the 20th century, including desegregation, school prayer, abortion, the death penalty, affirmative action, gay rights, assisted suicide, and national security, to name just a few.