Before the Next Attack - Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism (Paperback, Annotated Ed)

A leading political and legal thinker explains how to end the dangerous cycle of repression unleashed by the war on terror Terrorist attacks regularly trigger the enactment of repressive laws, setting in motion a vicious cycle that threatens to devastate civil liberties over the twenty-first century. In this clear-sighted book, Bruce Ackerman peers into the future and presents an intuitive, practical alternative. He proposes an "emergency constitution" that enables government to take extraordinary actions to prevent a second strike in the short run whileprohibiting permanent measures that destroy our freedom over the longer run.Ackerman's "emergency constitution" exposes the dangers lurking behind the popular notion that we are fighting a "war" on terror. He criticizes court opinions that have adopted the war framework, showing how they uncritically accept extreme presidential claims to sweeping powers. Instead of expanding the authority of the commander in chief, the courts should encourage new forms of checks and balances that allow for decisive, but carefully controlled, presidential action during emergencies. In making his case, Ackerman explores emergency provisions in constitutions of nations ranging from France to South Africa, retaining aspects that work and adapting others. He shows that no country today is well equipped to both fend off terrorists and preserve fundamental liberties, drawing particular attention to recent British reactions to terrorist attacks. Written for thoughtful citizens throughout the world, this book is democracy's constitutional reply to political excess in the sinister era of terrorism.

General

Imprint:	Yale University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2007
First published:	March 2007
Authors:	Bruce Ackerman
Dimensions:	235 x 156 x 16mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	240
Edition:	Annotated Ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-300-12266-4
Categories:	Books > Law > Laws of other jurisdictions & general law > Constitutional & administrative law > General Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political control & freedoms > Human rights > Civil rights & citizenship Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political activism > Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle > General Promotions
LSN:	0-300-12266-7
Barcode:	9780300122664

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