In the more than thirty years since its original publication, The American Supreme Court has introduced several generations of students to the workings of the highest court of the United States. Now Sanford Levinson brings this classic work up-to-date, ensuring its continued relevance for decades to come.In this historical interpretation of the Supreme Court's role in constructing the United States Constitution, McCloskey contends that the strength of the Court has always been in its sensitivity to the changing political scene and in its reluctance to stray too far from the main currents of public sentiments. Because of the essential ambiguity of the Constitution, McCloskey argues, the Court has always been an active branch of government.Leaving McCloskey's original text unchanged, Levinson has added two new chapters covering the developments of the past thirty years, a coda, a revised chronology, and a totally new bibliographic essay. Also included is a new preface by Daniel J. Boorstin.

Argues that the Constitution serves as the focus of a civil religion and discusses the Constitution's components and interpretation