Pocket Constitution

A pocket Constitution is a printed copy of the United States Constitution that is pocket-sized or pamphlet-sized and can fit in a pocket, purse, or other small container for portability.

A pocket constitution, published together with the Declaration of Independence. This particular copy is from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Publishers and use

Although the text of the Constitution is easily accessible for free online (including a printable version via the National Archives and Records Administration), the New York Times notes that "pocket-size versions come with an added feature — a physical representation of Americans' rights that can be hoisted during a congressional hearing, political rally or a spirited discussion with a police officer."[1] Although sometimes identified with the right-wing Tea Party movement, pocket Constitutions have been used by figures and advocacy groups on both the left and right for many years.[1][2]

Former ACLU president Susan Herman says that the first instance she can recall of a prominent politician using a pocket Constitutions for effect came during the Watergate hearings, when the chair of the Senate Watergate Committee, Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina, pulled out his pocket Constitution, making a "powerful visual impact."[2]

A variety of entities publish and distribute (either through sales or via free giveaways) pocket Constitutions.[1] These include the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), which as of 2016 sells copies for $1.50;[1] the American Civil Liberties Union[1][2] (which publishes them en masse[2] and usually sells copies for $5, but offered them for free after Khizr Khan displayed one in an emotional speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention);[1] the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy;[3] the Heritage Foundation,[2] Hillsdale College (which currently gives them away for free to anyone who requests one),[4] and the Cato Institute, which has given copies away for free to members of Congress and others.[2][5][6] Cato began publishing its pocket Constitution in 1998, and by 2005 had distributed more than four million copies. The group also publishes a bilingual Spanish-English edition.[6] The National Center for Constitutional Studies also publishes a copy, which has been criticized for its "ultraconservative annotations and commentary."[1]

Carriers

References

  1. Mike, McPhate, Pocket Constitution Sales Soar After Trump Feud With Khan Family, New York Times (August 1, 2016).
  2. Betsy Woodruff, The History of the Pocket Constitution: How mini-Constitutions became popular long before the Tea Party, Slate (January 28, 2015).
  3. Caroline Fredrickson, Debate or Distraction: Why Some Are Fretting Over the ACS Pocket Constitution, American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (July 20, 2010).
  4. "Get The Constitution and Declaration of Independence For FREE!". lp.hillsdale.edu. Hillsdale College. 2018. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  5. Kate Tummarello, Small Size, Enormous Importance, Roll Call (July 6, 2011).
  6. The Cato Constitution, Cato Policy Report (September/October 2005), pp. 4-5.
  7. "I don't know about you, but I carry this pocket Constitution everywhere."
    Skordas, Greg. Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe Turn to Private Judge (interview with Nancy Grace), Nancy Grace, CNN (September 6, 2006).
  8. Bartlett, Katharine T. Foreword: A Tribute to William W. Van Alstyne, 54 Duke Law Journal 1355 (April 2005): "No one is more passionate about the U.S. Constitution. Professor Van Alstyne carries it with him virtually everywhere he goes. In the countless lectures and presentations he has given, a small, Duke-blue pocket Constitution is a frequent, usually his only, handout."
  9. Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, South Carolina (April 26, 2007): "This is a pocket copy of the Constitution, which I carry with me, because I took an oath to defend the Constitution."
  10. Duara, Nigel (January 21, 2016). "Oregon armed protesters invoke the Constitution -- annotated by a conspiracy theorist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  11. Sunstein, Cass (August 3, 2016). "Commentary: That pocket Constitution packs a few surprises". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  12. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/08/brett-kavanaugh-touched-his-pocket-constitution-least-times-during-his-confirmation-hearings/
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