New and Forthcoming Titles from OUP

The Most Democratic Branch: How the Courts Serve America
Jeffrey Rosen

ISBN10: 0195174437 | Hardback, 256 pages, June 2006, $25.00

From the blurb: Many critics attack federal judges as anti-democratic elitists, activists out of step with the mainstream of American thought. But others argue that judges should stand alone as the ultimate guardians of American values, placing principle before the views of the people. In The Most Democratic Branch , Jeffrey Rosen disagrees with both assertions. Contrary to what interest groups may claim, he contends that, from the days of John Marshall right up to the present, the federal courts by and large have reflected the opinions of the mainstream. More important, he argues that the Supreme Court is most successful when it defers to the constitutional views of the American people, as represented most notably by Congress and the Presidency. And on the rare occasion when they departed from the consensus, the result has often been a disaster.

James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights
Richard Labunski

ISBN10: 0195181050 | Hardback, 352 pages, July 2006, $28.00

From the blurb:  Today we hold the Constitution in such high regard that we can hardly imagine how hotly contested was its adoption. In fact, many of the thirteen states saw fierce debate over the document, and ratification was by no means certain. Virginia, the largest and most influential state, approved the Constitution by the barest of margins, and only after an epic political battle between James Madison and Patrick Henry. Now Richard Labunski offers a dramatic account of a time when the entire American experiment hung in the balance, only to be saved by the most unlikely of heroes--the diminutive and exceedingly shy Madison.

Law 101: Everything You Need to Know about the American Legal System 2d ed.
Jay M. Feinman

ISBN10: 0195179579 | Hardback, 384 pages, Jun 2006,  Not Yet Published

From the blurb:  The best-selling first edition of Law 101 provided readers with a vividly written and indispensable portrait of our nation's legal system. Now, in this revised edition, Jay M. Feinman offers an updated survey of American law, spiced with new anecdotes and cases (including Supreme Court cases through July 2005), and incorporating fresh material on topics ranging from the President's war powers, to intellectual property, standard form contracts, and eminent domain.

Are Human Rights Western? A Contribution to the Dialogue of Civilizations
Arvind Sharma

ISBN10: 0195679482 | Hardback, 320 pages, Mar 2006, $29.00

From the blurb:  This is a broad and accessible examination of the origin and evolution of the concept of human rights. While it is often taken for granted that the concept is Western, the book points out that questions of the wisdom of drafting a statement of rights for the entire world based on western values were raised even at the time of the framing of the Universal Declaration of Human rights in 1948 and examines the criticisms of that document that have surfaced in the ensuing years from Asia and Africa that it is not of relevance to their societies. Overall, the book examines questions raised from a range of perspectives, including historical, secular, economic, philosophical, and religious.