Original Intent and the Constitution

The strength of this work is its illuminating analysis of the varieties of original intent theory, and the problems...of some of them. -- F. E. Devine, University of Southern Mississippi
. . . [Bassham's] detailed examination of originalism will enlighten both its proponents and its opponents. * The Review of Politics *
Bassham has written an important book, made even better by the fact that each chapter has well over a hundred footnotes. It is a well-documented, intelligent book which argues that original intent is a flawed concept and cannot be used in a rigid fashion. * Southeastern Political Review *
...an original and sophisticated philosophical discussion of central issues in contemporary constitutional theory. It is required reading for anyone who wants to probe the debates between 'originalists' and 'nonoriginalists'-or the debates between those who find the originalism/nonoriginalism distinction useful and those who do not. -- Michael J. Perry, the Howard J. Trienens Professor of Law at the Northwestern University Law School