Celebrate as you wish the joys of online research, but this simply arranged and wonderfully comprehensive dictionary proves that ink on paper still deserves considerable respect. A welcome addition to the acclaimed Scarecrow Press series of historical dictionaries, this title covers Death penalty to Dred Scott, Gay rights to Gun rights, and School prayer to Stare decisis. Amendments, court cases, legislation, personages, and concepts of political theory are succinctly explained via cogent definitions and spot-on historical context. Accompanying the 200-plus pages of A-Z entries is a carefully chosen selection of Federalist Papers. This reference will be well received by both academic and armchair historians.

Booklist

[Conley's] latest offering focuses on the United States Constitution, beginning with the obvious need for such a document in the wake of the Articles of Confederation. The volume begins with an introductory section that includes a listing of acronyms and abbreviations utilized, a chronology, and a general introduction to the topic. The bulk of the work is a dictionary with approximately 300 alphabetically arranged entries that explores not only the Constitution itself, but how it has been shaped and interpreted by politicians and Supreme Court Justices. . . .A strength of this reference work is the bibliography which is 42 pages long. This excellent ready reference tool is recommended for academic libraries serving undergraduates and for public libraries.

American Reference Books Annual

[T]here is a short chronology and an historical introduction. Then comes the alphabetical sequence of articles: it runs to a good 200 pages. . . .There are lots of cross-references in bold type which help trace relevant material. . . .Also included is the obligatory printing of the constitution itself, a reasonable inclusion in a book of this title. . . .As always with this series, the Historical Dictionary contains a good bibliography. . . .The Dictionary has value….

Reference Reviews

The Historical Dictionary of the Constitution is concise yet expansive. In one volume, Conley covers everything from the Declaration of Independence to Obergefell v. Hodges. It is comprehensive. It is accessible. It is, in a word, excellent.?

Dave Bridge, Baylor University, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

Perhaps no other document in the history of the United States is more venerated than the U.S. Constitution. Conley offers a comprehensive dictionary of the Constitution, including entries on constitutional clauses, the history of the Constitution's creation, and Supreme Court cases that have affected its meaning. This much breath from one person is remarkable.

Keith Dougherty, University of Georgia, Professor, Department of Political Science

Conley’s new Dictionary of the Constitution is both timely and timeless. Its fresh and clear treatment of important constitutional principles and cases makes it relevant to those seeking to understand the arc of contemporary constitutional controversies. Yet it also offers the user as concise and insightful a digest of enduring principles, beginning with Conley’s wonderful introductory treatment of the document’s formulation and evolution, to be found in print. Conley’s lucid treatment makes it accessible to the novice and insightful for the specialist. This is a fine work that belongs on the desk of anyone interested in the document that binds our country.

Robert J. Spitzer, Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, SUNY Cortland; author, "The Politics of Gun Control" and "Guns Across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights"