Constitutional interpretation

Constitutional interpretation is the process of determining the meaning and legal scope of constitutional provisions. It shapes how constitutional text applies to disputes, institutions, and changing circumstances.

Textualism: A method of interpretation that gives primary weight to the ordinary meaning of legal text. It treats constitutional wording as the central constraint on interpretation.
Constitution: A foundational legal instrument that establishes a state’s institutions, powers, and governing rules. Interpretation determines how this higher law governs institutions and disputes.
Marbury v. Madison: A 1803 United States Supreme Court decision that established the principle of judicial review. Its reasoning made constitutional meaning a basis for invalidating legislation.
John Marshall: Chief justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835, whose opinions strengthened federal judicial authority. His opinions established foundational practices for interpreting and enforcing the Constitution.
Original public meaning: The meaning that constitutional text would have conveyed to the public when it was adopted. It specifies the historical meaning sought by many originalist approaches.
Originalism: A family of interpretive theories that seeks to preserve the Constitution’s original meaning. It anchors constitutional meaning in the text’s adoption-era meaning.
Statutory interpretation: The process of determining the meaning and legal effect of legislation. It shares interpretive tools with constitutional law but concerns statutes.
Brown v. Board of Education: A 1954 United States Supreme Court decision holding racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Its reading of equal protection illustrates constitutional text applied to entrenched social conditions.
Antonin Scalia: A United States Supreme Court justice known for advocating textualism and originalism. His writings made original public meaning a prominent interpretive method.
Original intent: An interpretive approach that seeks the constitutional intentions of the text’s framers or ratifiers. It differs from public-meaning approaches by focusing on historical intentions.

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