The Second Amendment in Court : Defining the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Explores pivotal state and federal firearms cases and traces the conflicting legal opinions that have made the second amendment so controversial.

One of the most controversial aspects of the U.S. constitution, the Second Amendment continues to divide lawmakers and the general public alike. The Second Amendment has long been the subject of myriad court cases, at both the state and federal levels. In this valuable sourcebook, close examination of these court decisions demystifies the controversy surrounding gun rights and regulations.

Chronologically presenting actual court decisions from the early 1800s through the present alongside contextual information and analysis, Donald J. Campbell traces the conflicting legal opinions that have led to our current understanding of the Second Amendment. It highlights the amendment’s two major controversies: the individual right versus collective right debate and the incorporation of the Second Amendment by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Chapters also thoroughly examine the most influential Supreme Court Cases that dominate popular discussions of the amendment, such as United States v. Miller, District of Columbia v. Heller, McDonald v. City of Chicago, and NYSRPA v. Bruen.