The United States Supreme Court’s new conservative supermajority: a Constitutional Counter-revolution?

Abstract

The United States has the oldest written constitution in the world. Its staying power has proved remarkable, with the same brief document (fewer than ten printed pages) serving as the nation’s fundamental law since 1787 with only twenty-seven amendments (the first ten adopted immediately after its adoption, the three most important modifications coming after the Civil War in mid-19th century, and merely 11 ratified in the twentieth century, none after 1992). The basic principles embodied in the constitutions have remained constant, with separation of powers along with checks and balances and federalism shaping the basic structures of government.