The U.S. Supreme Court and Contemporary Constitutional Law

This book analyzes developments in the jurisprudence of the US Supreme Court in the Obama era. It follows three main threads. First, it seeks to describe and characterize the Supreme Courts jurisprudence in this period. Second, it assesses factors influencing developments in the jurisprudence. Finally, it draws broader lessons on how constitutional change works. As the oldest surviving written constitution among Western democracies, and despite having high hurdles for textual changes, the US Constitution has proved to be remarkably flexible. The main reason for this flexibility is the interpretation by the US Supreme Court. This book teases out the mechanism of how the Court manages to maintain this flexibility. Bringing together legal scholars from the United States and Europe who focus on different aspects of the Courts jurisprudence, the work consists of five parts. Part I analyzes the relationship of the Supreme Court with the democratic process. Part II deals with the jurisprudence on fundamental rights. Part III looks at constitutional aspects of international relations. Part IV offers comparative perspectives with Germany. The book provides a valuable reference for academics and researchers in constitutional law and legal history.