The Constitution Cannot Save Us
Why We Can No Longer Rely on Our Founding Document
$72.22
- Hardcover
256 pages
- Release Date
20 August 2026
Summary
A radical argument by the leading constitutional scholar that American constitutional law lacks the resources to address our current problems, and risks making them worse
From Parchment to Dust
Constitutional theorists on the Right and the Left are united in the belief that constitutional law and review by the Supreme Court are crucial to the success of the American experiment. Both sides believe that, on issues ranging from affirmative action, reproductive freedom, and gun co…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9798893850611 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Louis Michael Seidman |
| Publisher: | The New Press |
| Imprint: | The New Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 20 August 2026 |
| Dimensions: | 20mm x 152mm x 228mm |
Critics Review
Praise for The Constitution Cannot Save Us:
“A somber analysis of why the Constitution is no longer sufficient for addressing the challenges America faces.”—Publishers Weekly
“In The Constitution Cannot Save Us, the distinguished constitutional scholar Louis Michael Seidman offers a brilliant critique of our current system of constitutional law and argues that it is time for us to move beyond that system to a new era, especially in the time of Trump, in which the American people rely on democratic means, rather than on an ancient document, to make our most fundamental national decisions.”—Geoffrey R. Stone, Edward H. Levi Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Chicago
“Seidman, an admirable and authoritative student of the U.S. Constitution, has given us a compelling corrective to the cult of constitutionalism that permeates the legal academy, significant political circles, and much of civil society. For the sake of the Republic, people need to listen to him.”—Paul B. Stephan, John C. Jeffries, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia
“The Constitution Cannot Save Us is an urgent, indispensable book, showing with bracing clarity how our reliance on courts and constitutional salvation can heighten the very conflict it promises to settle. Accessible and unsparing, it urges a turn from top-down constitutionalism toward the vital habits of democratic contestation—and the courage to accept that no court can do the work of self-government for us.”—Laura Weinrib, Fred N. Fishman Professor and Suzanne Young Murray Professor, Harvard Law School, and author of The Taming of Free Speech
Louis Michael Seidman
Louis Michael Seidman lives in Washington, DC.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.