II. THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 3

Place of the Court in the constitutional scheme. Its most important
function. Personnel of the Court. Its power moral rather than physical.
Its chief weapon the power to declare legislative acts unconstitutional.
Limitations on this power--political questions; necessity of an actual
controversy; abuses of legislative power. Erroneous popular impressions.
Impairment of the constitutional conscience.

III. OUR CHANGING CONSTITUTION 18

Change in popular attitude toward the Constitution. Causes of the change
(growth of national consciousness, wars, foreign relations, influence of
later immigrants and their descendants, desire to obtain federal
appropriations, economic development, railroads, free trade among the
states). Methods by which change has been put into effect
(constitutional amendment, treaties, federal legislation under cover of
power to regulate commerce and lay taxes). Attitude of the Supreme
Court. Differences of opinion in the Court.

IV. THE EIGHTEENTH OR PROHIBITION AMENDMENT 35

History and radical character of amendment. Efforts to defeat it in the
courts. Unusual course taken by Supreme Court. Discussion of its true
place in the development of American constitutional law. Less a point of
departure than a spectacular manifestation of a change already under
way. Effect of the change on the principle of local self-government.

V. THE NINETEENTH OR WOMAN SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT 49