Red, White, and Blue - (Constitutional Thinking) 2nd Edition by Mark V Tushnet (Paperback)

About the Book

Examines the major approaches to constitutional interpretation developed in the late twentieth century. Though interpretive theories purport to constrain judges in a disciplined way, none actually can do so. An Afterword brings the story up to the present, without altering its conclusion, that "Critique is all there is."

Book Synopsis

The first paperback edition of a classic of American constitutional theory. The book is divided into two parts. In Part I Professor Tushnet appraises the five major competing "grand theories" of constitutional law and interpretation, and, argues that none of them satisfy their own requirements for coherence and judicial constraint. In Part II the author offers a descriptive sociology of constitutional doctrine and raises critical questions as to whether a grand theory is necessary, is it possible to construct a coherent, useful grand theory, and is construction of an uncontroversial grand theory possible?

Professor Tushnet's new Afterword is organized in parallel fashion to the original text. Part I offers a new survey of the contemporary terrain of constitutional interpretation. Part II provides an extended discussion of the most prominent of contemporary efforts to provide an external analysis of constitutional law, the idea of regime politics. This includes discussion of major court decisions, including Bush v. Gore and Citizens United.

Review Quotes

"Red, White, and Blue brilliantly crystallized the anxieties about judicial review that dominated constitutional debates during the 1980s, and its central, critical arguments retain their bite. As a critique of grand constitutional theorizing, Red, White, and Blue remains unsurpassed."--Richard H. Fallon, Jr., author of The Dynamic Constitution: An Introduction to American Constitutional Law and Practice

"Professor Tushnet's book is a healthy antidote to the prevailing mode of American constitutional scholarship."--Frederick Schauer, Georgetown Law Journal

"[Professor Tushnet's] contributions to the debates about constitutional interpretation and insights into the dynamics of constitutional theory and doctrine are invaluable. In the final analysis, he forces us not only to remain intellectually honest but also to question the precepts by which we choose to run our government and live our lives."--Michael J. Gerhardt, Texas Law Review

"Red, White, and Blue ranks with Laurence Tribe's Constitutional Choices in its ambition, erudition, and importance. Tushnet's rejection of the five unitary grand theories . . . deserves attention, and, I believe, acclaim."--Philip Bobbitt, Stanford Law Review