Is the Constitution confusing to you? Do you wish it wasn't so hard to understand? The Constitution Annotated can help! The Constitution Annotated, otherwise known as the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation (CONAN), offers a "legal analysis and interpretation" of the Constitution based on Supreme Court cases and their relevance to the text. For the past 100 years, the Constitution Annotated has highlighted and interpreted "every provision of the Constitution throughout the nation's history."
History of Constitution Annotated
Because of 2 U.S.C. § 168, the Librarian of Congress compiles and updates the Constitution Annotated to provide vital information for Congress and the public. This makes it especially easy for members of Congress to have the necessary information at hand ready to use. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) also plays a role in the production of the Constitution Annotated. The CRS is known for having solid policy and legal analysis in a non-partisan fashion. The attorneys in the American Law Division of CRS are the attorneys that provide the analysis and interpretation for Congress members.
What Does Constitution Annotated Offer?
Constitution Annotated has a variety of tools on their website,
www.constitution.congress.gov. The biggest tool it offers is the actual
annotation of the Constitution. It organizes every section with a translation and when it has been used in any case. Some other tools include a Table of Supreme Court Decisions Overruled by Subsequent Decision, Table of Cases, and Methodology for the Constitution Annotated. The Constitution Annotated also offers background and history on the Constitution. It holds information about the creation of the Bill of Rights, Primary Documents in American History, and even the Federalist Papers.
Constitution Annotated: Featured Issues
A vital part of the
Constitution Annotated is their featured issues section. They highlight important topics that are current and sometimes controversial. For example, a hot topic in the country
at present is natural gas pipelines.
Constitution Annotated offers an issue on the
PennEast Pipeline Company v. New Jersey, and how the Fifth Amendment plays a role in it. Another featured issue is "
Privacy Law and Private Rights to Action: Standing After TransUnion v. Ramirez," which concerns data privacy.
Constitution Annotated, along with CRS, discusses the role of Article III of the Constitution in this matter. The featured issues section even offers
suggested citations for common legislation. It includes citations for civil rights legislation, economic regulations, and election regulations.
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Eager to know more? Start here.
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