Two hundred and eleven years ago, Congress proposed and the states ratified the Bill of Rights. Since that time, these rights have been challenged over and over again. The Alien and Sedition Acts, the Civil War, the 'Red Scares' during both World Wars, the Cold War and its permanent crisis mentality, the Vietnam era and its civil unrest, and now the War on Terrorism-all are points along a line of contested history and conflict. Each of these crises generated stresses and strains for our constitutional guarantees of civil rights and liberties. This book looks at the War on Terrorism and the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq through the lenses of constitutional law and American politics. A remarkably cohesive set of essays by leading legal scholars brings these challenges into sharp focus, offering a unique perspective on executive power, the rule of law, and the delicate balance between rights, liberties, and threats.

Contributions by: John Ashcroft, Thomas E. Baker, Stephen G. Bryer, Louis Fisher, Mark A. Graber, Michael Greenberger, Peter Irons, Jules Lobel, John F. Stack, Jr.