✨ Featured Offer
Used, Very Good
$8.68
List Price: $24.95
🚚
See all 5 offers from $5.70 FREE standard delivery by: 04 Apr 2026
Overview
This book, based on the Tanner lectures on Human Values that Justice Stephen Breyer delivered at Harvard University in November 2004, defines the term “active liberty” as a sharing of the nation’s sovereign authority with its citizens. Regarding the Constitution as a guide for the application of basic American principles to a living and changing society rather than as an arsenal of rigid legal means for binding and restricting it, Justice Breyer argues that the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in a world that is dead and gone, but in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems.
Giving us examples of this approach in the areas of free speech, federalism, privacy, affirmative action, statutory interpretation, and administrative law, Justice Breyer states that courts should take greater account of the Constitution’s democratic nature when they interpret constitutional and statutory texts. He also insists that the people, through participation in community life, can and must develop the experience necessary to govern their own affairs. His distinctive contribution to the federalism debate is his claim that deference to congressional power can actually promote democratic participation rather than thwart it. He argues convincingly that although Congress is not perfect, it has done a better job than either the executive or judicial branches at balancing the conflicting views of citizens across the nation, especially during times of national crisis. With a fine appreciation for complexity, Breyer reminds all Americans that Congress, rather than the courts, is the place to resolve policy disputes.
Active Liberty is a declaration of the first importance, made by a judge often regarded as one of the court’s most brilliant members.
Giving us examples of this approach in the areas of free speech, federalism, privacy, affirmative action, statutory interpretation, and administrative law, Justice Breyer states that courts should take greater account of the Constitution’s democratic nature when they interpret constitutional and statutory texts. He also insists that the people, through participation in community life, can and must develop the experience necessary to govern their own affairs. His distinctive contribution to the federalism debate is his claim that deference to congressional power can actually promote democratic participation rather than thwart it. He argues convincingly that although Congress is not perfect, it has done a better job than either the executive or judicial branches at balancing the conflicting views of citizens across the nation, especially during times of national crisis. With a fine appreciation for complexity, Breyer reminds all Americans that Congress, rather than the courts, is the place to resolve policy disputes.
Active Liberty is a declaration of the first importance, made by a judge often regarded as one of the court’s most brilliant members.
| ISBN-13 | 9780307263131 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 0307263134 |
| Weight | 0.55 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 5.75 x 0.50 x 7.75 In |
| List Price | $24.95 |
| Format | Hardcover |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Pages | 176 pages |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Published On | 2005-09-13 |
View All Offers
Sort by:
Price
Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
Used, Good
Seller details
More Than Words
Waltham, MA, USA
GoodFormer Library book. All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports Mo...
Free delivery by: 04 Apr 2026
Used, Good
Seller details
Gulf Coast Books
Cypress, TX, USA
Size: 5x0x7;
Free delivery by: 04 Apr 2026
Used, Good
Seller details
SRJCLIB1
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 161 p. Audience: General/trade.
Free delivery by: 04 Apr 2026
Used, Good
Seller details
BookHolders
Gambrills, MD, USA
[ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ] [ Edition: First ] Publisher: Knopf Pub Date: 9/13/2005 Binding: Hardco...
Free delivery by: 04 Apr 2026
✨ Used, Very Good
Seller details
HPB-Ruby
Dallas, TX, USA
Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
Free delivery by: 04 Apr 2026