The Rights Retained By The People

Argues that the Supreme Court would do better to rely on the Ninth Amendment when addressing issues regarding fundamental rights, rather than depending on the Constitution's due process clause.

A collection of seminal writings on the history and meaning of the Ninth Amendment, reflecting a diverse cross-section of scholarly opinion. From the Introduction by Randy E. Barnett: I suggest that the failure to find a 'general right of freedom' in the Constitution is connected to a general inabi

At the heart of 'The Right to Privacy' lies an exploration of the increasingly blurred line between the private and the public, a theme that resonates as much today as at its inception. This collection, curated with a keen eye for diversity in perspective and style, traverses the complex landscape of privacy rights in the modern world. The anthology stands out for its rigorous examination of the legal, ethical, and societal dimensions of privacy, weaving together landmark cases, pivotal essays, and critical analyses to offer a multifaceted view of privacy's evolving definition and its implications. The inclusion of foundational works such as the seminal essay by Louis Brandeis and Samuel D. Warren highlights the depth and historical significance of the discourse presented. The editors and contributors, hailing from a broad spectrum of backgrounds in law, ethics, and technology, collectively underscore the anthology's thematic coherence. Their disparate vantage points, rooted in different eras and engaging with varying aspects of privacy, illuminate the rich tapestry of legal thought and ethical considerations. This convergence of historical and contemporary views underlines the collection's alignment with significant cultural and legal shifts, reflecting society's ongoing struggle to balance personal privacy with public interest. 'The Right to Privacy' is indispensable for readers seeking to navigate the intricate and often contentious terrain of privacy rights. It promises an enlightening journey through the kaleidoscope of opinions and analyses, offering valuable insights and fostering a deeper understanding of what it means to protect personal boundaries in an increasingly open world. This anthology is a must-read for anyone invested in the pivotal debates surrounding privacy, beckoning with the allure of a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our time.

The Ninth Amendment, which guarantees individuals rights not specifically named within the Constitution or the other amendments, was written using vague, open-ended language to ensure no American citizen would be denied the many rights he or she retained that were not explicitly enumerated. Yet this vagueness has caused confusion and uncertainty even in the Supreme Court. Through full-color and black-and-white photos, engaging text, and primary sources, readers will learn why it was proposed and ratified, how it has been interpreted in several landmark Supreme Court cases, and how it has impacted society through such issues as labor activities, fair housing laws, and privacy. Sidebars, a glossary, and further reading are also included.

This book is an introduction to the Ninth Amendment which empowers the people as it guarantees protection of unenumerated rights.

The U.S. Constitution found in school textbooks and under glass in Washington is not the one enforced today by the Supreme Court. In Restoring the Lost Constitution, Randy Barnett argues that since the nation's founding, but especially since the 1930s, the courts have been cutting holes in the original Constitution and its amendments to eliminate the parts that protect liberty from the power of government. From the Commerce Clause, to the Necessary and Proper Clause, to the Ninth and Tenth Amendments, to the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court has rendered each of these provisions toothless. In the process, the written Constitution has been lost. Barnett establishes the original meaning of these lost clauses and offers a practical way to restore them to their central role in constraining government: adopting a "presumption of liberty" to give the benefit of the doubt to citizens when laws restrict their rightful exercises of liberty. He also provides a new, realistic and philosophically rigorous theory of constitutional legitimacy that justifies both interpreting the Constitution according to its original meaning and, where that meaning is vague or open-ended, construing it so as to better protect the rights retained by the people. As clearly argued as it is insightful and provocative, Restoring the Lost Constitution forcefully disputes the conventional wisdom, posing a powerful challenge to which others must now respond. This updated edition features an afterword with further reflections on individual popular sovereignty, originalist interpretation, judicial engagement, and the gravitational force that original meaning has exerted on the Supreme Court in several recent cases.

Includes essays on the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution by James Madison, Edward S. Corwin, Knowlton H. Kelsey, Bennett B. Patterson, Norman Redlich, Eugene M. Van Loan, III, John Hart Ely, Raoul Berger, Simeon C.R. McIntosh, Russell L. Caplan, Calvin R. Massey, Charles L. Black, Jr.

Volume II of The Rights Retained by the People explores how the Ninth Amendment affects the proper way of interpreting the Constitution as a whole. Contributors: Sotirios A. Barber, Michael W. McConnell, Sanford Levinson, Stephen Macedo, Andrzej Rapacznski, Thomas C. Grey, Lawrence G. Sager, Morris S. Arnold, Earl M. Maltz, Susanna Sherry, Calvin R. Massey, Thomas McAffee and Raoul Berger. Together with Volume I, which covers primarily the history and proper interpretation of the amendment itself, these books constitute the definitive reference work on the Ninth Amendment.