Perfecting the U.S. Constitution

Blaine Kaltman is a former U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer. He earned a doctorate from the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the author of Under the Heel of the Dragon: Islam, Racism, Crime, and the Uighur in China.

"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, 'Perfecting the U.S. Constitution: 27 and Counting, The Amendments that Shaped America's Future' by Blaine Kaltman is an extraordinary and 'reader friendly' study that is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, highschool, and college/university library Political Science collections and supplemental American Constitution curriculum studies lists." —Midwest"Good citizens need to know more about the U.S. Constitution. This easy-to-understand book focuses on the twenty-seven amendments that have kept the Constitution workable and the Republic functioning for 236 years. Some of us believe the Constitution needs quite a few more changes. Blaine Kaltman shows how reform has occurred in the past, perhaps providing some hints for today’s reformers."— Larry Sabato, Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics and the Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, USA."The writing is accessible, the book reads quickly, and discussion of recent Supreme Court cases makes the book timely and relevant for all."—Sarah Binder, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, Brookings Institution; co-author of The Myth of Independence: How Congress governs the Federal Reserve."Kaltman delivers a lively, engaging, informative history of the amendment process and the twenty-seven amendments that have reshaped the Constitution and American life. A valuable, entertaining resource for teachers and students--and, indeed, anyone who wants to understand America's living Constitution."—Donald G. Nieman, Professor of History and Provost Emeritus, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA."A brilliant device for telling the political history of America."—John Prideaux, US Editor and Executive Director of Podcasting, The Economist"Compared to other books on the Constitution, this one stands out for its clarity, accessibility, and relevance to today’s legal and political landscape. In a time when constitutional literacy is more important than ever, this book deserves to be widely read."— Howard Dreitzer, Senior Casino Executive; former Chief Operating Officer for Seminole Gaming, and former Senior Vice President and General Manager for Conrad Jupiters, Australia."This book says important things about the amendments to the U.S Constitution and sheds new light on the Constitution that exists today."—Forrest Maltzman, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University; co-author of Crafting Law on the Supreme Court: The Collegial Game, and of Advice and Dissent: The Struggle to Shape the Federal Judiciary.

• Acknowledgments; About the Author; Introduction; THE BILL OF RIGHTS; CHAPTER 1 Fundamental Rights: The First Amendment; CHAPTER 2 Bearing Arms: The Second Amendment; CHAPTER 3 Innocent until Proven Guilty: The Third through Eighth Amendments; CHAPTER 4 This and No More: The Ninth and Tenth Amendments; AMENDMENTS ELEVEN TO TWENTY-SEVEN; CHAPTER 5 What Federal Courts Cannot Do: The Eleventh Amendment ; CHAPTER 6 The President and Vice President: The Twelfth, Twentieth, Twenty-Second, and Twenty-Fifth Amendments; CHAPTER 7 The Civil War and Reconstruction, Slavery to Civil Rights: The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Twenty-Fourth Amendments; CHAPTER 8 Money Makes the World Go Round: The Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Twenty-Seventh Amendments; CHAPTER 9 To Drink or Not to Drink, that is the Question: The Eighteenth and Twenty-First Amendments; CHAPTER 10 New Voters: The Nineteenth, Twenty-Third, and Twenty-Sixth Amendments; Afterword: Looking Back and Going Forward