Warns against reinforcing what is called the "sacred mythology" of the "miracle at Philadelphia," and urges teachers to tell the full story of the flaws, fights, and decades of legal and political work required to bring the original constitution in line with the U. S. Declaration of Independence. Supports this argument with a…

This article examines the history and thinking of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in order to explain the formation of the ideas which allow the U.S. Constitution to provide for an effective government without sacrificing vital individual liberties. (JDH)

Examines the ideas of justice, equality, and property as they are represented in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Discusses how these ideas affect the way public schools operate and the lessons educators teach or don't teach about our society. Includes ideas for classroom activities. (JDH)

The first of two articles on privacy considers its development in U.S. tort law and its social and ethical aspects in the context of changing technology. The second, by Linowes and Bennett, examines the role of data-protection as a policy problem using the concepts and approaches of political science. (Author/EM)

Considers how the Bill of Rights originated and has evolved. Reviews the political views of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and the nature of their support for the Bill of Rights. Explains nineteenth-century classical liberalism and its revolutionary view that political power inhered in the individual rather than in property ownership. (CH)

The principles, values, and issues of our constitutional heritage that should be emphasized in citizenship education are based on the concepts of liberty and power. The Constitution is not a sacred icon formulated by immortals, but rather a changing and controversial framework guided by a diverse group of practical politicians, sensitive to their…

The relation between the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the provisions of the Bill of Rights or the first 10 Constitutional amendments is discussed. (RM)

Examines the Supreme Court's historical treatment of the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment to better understand the meaning of the Constitution's founding. That the Constitution does not offer an absolute protection is supported by analyzing a broad outline of the Constitution and several court cases involving due process. (TRS)

Considers who was intended to have civil rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Suggests that broad and inclusive historical analysis reveals individual citizens as the intended beneficiaries. Argues that the founders established a constitutional framework flexible enough to function in the transition from patriarchy and…

Maintains that constitutional law is the cornerstone of an undergraduate public law curriculum. Asserts that there is a welcome trend toward teaching the subject over a two-semester sequence, instead of only one. Describes course content and teaching strategies used in a college constitutional law course. (CFR)

It's unsettling to hear of credentialed school teachers who--ignorant of our principles and of so much more--are seduced by, and pass on, ludicrous and even subversive accounts of our history. Sandra Stotsky tells of curricula that equate white Americans with Nazis and of officials who discredit the Constitution as a license for slavery. She…

Reports on a study of the treatment of the Second Amendment in 24 secondary-level U.S. history textbooks and 8 U.S. government textbooks. Discusses inadequate and inaccurate interpretations and calls for a portrayal of the Second Amendment that reflects what the founding fathers wanted and what the courts have decided. (CFR)

Introduces a special issue topic: "Taking Stands in American History." Maintains that every generation has included citizens who have taken stands fusing the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Previews topics and contents of articles that are included in this issue. (CFR)