Author: Virginia. Constitutional Convention
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : African Americans
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description

Author: Brent Tarter
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
ISBN: 0820363340
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 580

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Book Description
This is the only modern comprehensive constitutional history of any state, and as a history of Virgina, it is one of the oldest and most complex. Virginia’s state legislature is the Virginia General Assembly, which was established in July 1619, making it the oldest current lawmaking body in North America. Brent Tarter’s Constitutional History of Virginia covers over three hundred years of Virginia’s legislative policy, from colony to statehood, revealing its political and legal backstory. From the very beginning in 1606, when James I chartered the Virginia Company to establish a commercial outpost on the Atlantic coast of North America, through the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the fundamental constitutions of the colony and state of Virginia have evolved and changed as the demographic, economic, political, and cultural characteristics of Virginia changed. Elements of the colonial constitution influenced the character of the state’s first constitution in 1776, and changing relationships between the people and their government, as well as relationships between the state and federal governments, have influenced how the state’s constitution has evolved. Tarter explores that evolution and taps into its relevance to the people who have lived and still live in Virginia.

Author: John Dinan
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199355738
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
The Virginia State Constitution examines constitutional amendments, court decisions, attorney general opinions, and legislative deliberations bearing on the development and interpretation of the Virginia Constitution. The book contains a detailed history of the Virginia Constitution, with particular attention to key moments in the state's constitutional development, from the 1776 Constitution through the current 1971 Constitution. The book also includes a provision-by-provision commentary on the evolution and meaning of each section of the Virginia Constitution. The second edition brings this material up to date through mid-2013 and analyzes a number of constitutional developments with important implications for governance. Among the recent amendments covered in this volume is an amendment barring recognition of same-sex marriages and civil unions, and an amendment that undertook a major revision of the provision limiting the eminent domain power. The book examines several recent state court decisions of note, including the state supreme court's first interpretation of the provision guaranteeing "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" and various court decisions limiting the power to levy taxes. The book also analyzes recent attorney general opinions with significant implications for legislative appropriations to non-profit groups, along with various other legislative initiatives. The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States is an important series that reflects a renewed international interest in constitutional history and provides expert insight into each of the 50 state constitutions. Each volume in this innovative series contains a historical overview of the state's constitutional development, a section-by-section analysis of its current constitution, and a comprehensive guide to further research. Under the expert editorship of Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, this series provides essential reference tools for understanding state constitutional law. Books in the series can be purchased individually or as part of a complete set, giving readers unmatched access to these important political documents.

Author: John J. Dinan
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199877696
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
In contrast with the U.S. Constitution, which has been amended only 27 times since it was drafted in 1787, the Virginia Constitution has been the subject of many revisions since its adoption by the Convention of 1776. Significant changes have been brought about at the recommendation of revision commissions. On a number of those occasions, Virginia constitution makers have engaged in significant debates about fundamental questions. In fact, few states have had more opportunities to engage in constitutional revision and to debate fundamental principles. In The Virginia State Constitution, John Dinan analyzes the history and development of the Virginia constitution and undertakes a detailed treatment of the evolving interpretation of each section. In it, he contends that few states have had more opportunities than Virginia to engage in constitutional revision, and, in the process, to debate fundamental political questions about the role of state government. Previously published by Greenwood, this title has been brought back in to circulation by Oxford University Press with new verve. Re-printed with standardization of content organization in order to facilitate research across the series, this title, as with all titles in the series, is set to join the dynamic revision cycle of The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States. The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States is an important series that reflects a renewed international interest in constitutional history and provides expert insight into each of the 50 state constitutions. Each volume in this innovative series contains a historical overview of the states constitutional development, a section-by-section analysis of its current constitution, and a comprehensive guide to further research. Under the expert editorship of Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, this series provides essential reference tools for understanding state constitutional law. Books in the series can be purchased individually or as part of a complete set, giving readers unmatched access to these important political documents.

Author: John J. Dinan
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700616896
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
For too long, the American constitutional tradition has been defined solely by the U.S. Constitution drafted in 1787. Yet constitutional debates at the state level open a window on how Americans, in different places and at different times, have chosen to govern themselves. From New Hampshire in 1776 to Louisiana in 1992, state constitutional conventions have served not only as instruments of democracy but also as forums for revising federal principles and institutions. In The American State Constitutional Tradition, John Dinan shows that state constitutions are much more than mere echoes of the federal document. The first comprehensive study of all 114 state constitutional conventions for which there are recorded debates, his book shows that state constitutional debates in many ways better reflect the accumulated wisdom of American constitution-makers than do the more traditional studies of the federal constitution. Wielding extraordinary command over a mass of historical detail, Dinan clarifies the alternatives considered by state constitution makers and the reasons for the adoption or rejection of various governing principles and institutions. Among other things, he shows that the states are nearly universal in their rejection of the rigid federal model of the constitutional amendment process, favoring more flexible procedures for constitutional change; they often grant citizens greater direct participation in law-making; they have debated and at times rejected the value of bicameralism; and they have altered the veto powers of both the executive and judicial branches. Dinan also shows that, while the Founders favored a minimalist design and focused exclusively on protecting individuals from government action, state constitution makers have often adopted more detailed constitutions, sometimes specifying positive rights that depend on government action for their enforcement. Moreover, unlike the federal constitution, state constitutions often contain provisions dedicated to the formation of citizen character, ranging from compulsory schooling to the regulation of gambling or liquor. By integrating state constitution making with the federal constitutional tradition, this path-breaking work widens and deepens our understanding of the principles by which we've chosen to govern ourselves.

Author: A. E. Dick Howard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Constitutional law
Languages : en
Pages : 600

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Book Description

Author: Virginia. General Assembly. Senate
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Virginia
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
Vols. for 1831/32-1940 include Senate documents.

Author: Larry Roeder
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
ISBN: 164712364X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 319

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Book Description
This inspiring, true story of a Black community sheds new light on the history of segregation and inequity in American education The system of educational apartheid that existed in the United States until the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its aftermath has affected every aspect of life for Black Americans. Dirt Don't Burn is the riveting narrative of an extraordinary community that overcame the cultural and legal hurdles of systematic racism. Dirt Don’t Burn describes how Loudoun County, Virginia, which once denied educational opportunity to Black Americans, gradually increased the equality of education for all children in the area. The book includes powerful stories of the largely unknown individuals and organizations that brought change to enduring habits of exclusion and prejudice toward African Americans. Dirt Don't Burn sheds new light on the history of segregation and inequity in American history. It provides new historical details and insights into African American experiences based on original research through thousands of previously lost records, archival NAACP files, and records of educational philanthropies. This book will appeal to readers interested in American history, African American history, and regional history, as well as educational policy and social justice.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Constitutional conventions
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description

Author: Virginia. General Assembly. Senate
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description