Is the United States at a Constitutional Crossroad?

Julie Camp, Office of Communications and Public Relations, University of Georgia School of Law

Published in The Advocate, Spring/Summer 2005, Vol. 39, No. 2.

Abstract

The U.S. Constitution, drafted by our nation’s founding fathers well over 200 years ago, remains as the primary document guiding our nation’s system of democracy. However, in times of national emergencies, absolute adherence is sometimes set aside to meet immediate needs. The events of September 11 provide the most recent example of this conflict between strict constitutional fidelity and presidential emergency powers, Sanford V. Levinson, a chaired professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said when he delivered the 99th Sibley Lecture at the University of Georgia School of Law in March 2005.