This website provides a nice overview of the five common sources of American law (common law, statutory law, administrative law, court rules, and constitutional law.

The Constitution is a living document. This annotated Constitution offers analysis and interpretation based on Supreme Court case law. This regularly updated document is easily searchable according to article, amendment, cases, laws held...

Read the text of Article II of the Constitution, the four sections of which lay out the powers and duties of the executive branch of the federal government.

A detailed description of the United States Supreme Court decision on the appeal of the case Escobedo v. Illinois, which ruled on the right to have counsel under the 6th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.

An analysis of the Rule of Law and what it means for Canadians. This resource gives the historical background leading up to the law.

Short, simple summary with the full text of the 5th amendment of the Bill of Rights detailing the need for 'due process of the law' before punishing a person and the right to a trial by jury as detailed in the Constitution.

What is the purpose of the Independent Counsel Law and should it be renewed, modified, or allowed to expire? Read the thoughts on this controversial law, passed to assure Americans that people in government did not abuse the power given...

This site looks at the law and history of Supreme Court decisions concerning in the Roe v Wade decision of 1973, Casey v Planned Parenthood and, most recently, Gonzales v Carhart in 2007.

Provides a summary and full text of Article 6 of the Constitution. It establishes it as the supreme law of the United States and that public officials must take an oath to support it. It also authorizes the national debt, meaning that...

Detailed facts and information on the United States Senate, a part of Congress that has the power to pass, amend and repeal bills that are made into the law of the land.

This article contains a useful guide to the functions of the three US Branches of Government that make, enforce, or interprets laws.

This provides the full text of the oral argument and also links to cases citing the Gideon case in the Supreme Court and Circuit court levels.

PBS presents a summary of the landmark Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona which ruled that a person suspected of a crime must be informed of their constitutional rights before police questioning, becoming known as the "Miranda...

This site gives a complete description of the legal term contempt of court. It also describes various types of contempt of court.

The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.

Detailed information about the structure and activities of the Israeli government, as well as links to the basic laws which make up the Israeli constitution.

In the Progressive Era many states passed laws to protect workers and establish decent working conditions. Read the text of Muller v. Oregon, heard before the Supreme Court in 1908, that upheld Oregon's laws as constitutional.

The veto process is an integral part of our checks and balances. Introduce the power of the presidential veto and override to a class using an example from President Nixon's administration. Materials include the Constitution, worksheets,...

In the story of the Great Law of Peace, Hiawatha and the Peacemaker convince leaders of the Five Nations to literally bury the hatchet. Centuries before the creation of the United States and its Constitution, democracy had already taken...

One of the historical events that led to the creation of the limited government of the United States, the Magna Carta was written in 1215 as a promise from King John of England to his demanding barons. It put English kings under the rule...

Transcript of a Supreme Court decision, from 1957, in Roth v United States, a case that weighed constitutional freedoms of speech and the rights of individuals to own and distribute materials deemed by the government to be obscene.

This lesson plan from the Center for Civic Education encourages both teachers and learners to learn more about George Washington's contribution to American Constitutionalism and Citizenship.

A historical background and description of the legal term, 'jury.'

Three lessons for recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day, taken from the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution curriculum. These materials will help inform students about the national struggle for civil rights and equal...