A pocket constitution, published together with the Declaration of Independence. This particular copy is from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
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.
Publishers and use[edit]
Ram ji ke bhajan. 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] and the Cato Institute, which has given copies away for free to members of Congress and others.[2][4][5] 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.[5] The National Center for Constitutional Studies also publishes a copy, which has been criticized for its 'ultraconservative annotations and commentary.'[1]
Carriers[edit]
- Paul Broun, U.S. Representative from Georgia (Republican), carries a GPO-printed copy[4]
- Stephen G. Breyer, justice of the U.S. Supreme Court[1]
- Robert C. Byrd, U.S. Senator from West Virginia (Democratic), the longest-serving U.S. Senator, who famously carried a copy at all times.[1]
- Nancy Grace, CNN personality[6]
- Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Representative from Ohio (Democratic), began carrying a copy when elected to Congress[2][4]
- Peter Jennings, anchor of ABC News' World News Tonight, always carried a copy, used the Cato edition[5]
- Mike Lee, U.S. Senator from Utah, Lee 'has been photographed gesturing with his portable Constitution' and he rotates between copies printed by the Joint Committee on Printing, copies printed by the Bicentennial Commission on the Constitution, and copies printed by the Cato Institute[4]
- William Van Alstyne, constitutional scholar, professor of the William & MaryMarshall-Wythe School of Law[7][8]
- Ammon Bundy, LaVoy Finicum, and other militants who occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 carried pocket constitutions published by the National Center for Constitutional Studies which contain the personal opinions of W. Cleon Skousen, described by the LA Times as an 'anti-communist conspiracy theorist'.[9]
- U.S. Senators Carl Levin of Michigan (Democrat) and Trent Lott of Mississippi (Republican) have both used their pocket Constitutions at public appearances.[5]
- Gold Star father Khizr Khan displayed a pocket Constitution during a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention directed at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, asking 'have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy.'[10]
- Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefghiMike, McPhate, Pocket Constitution Sales Soar After Trump Feud With Khan Family, New York Times (August 1, 2016).
- ^ abcdefgBetsy Woodruff, The History of the Pocket Constitution: How mini-Constitutions became popular long before the Tea Party, Slate (January 28, 2015).
- ^Caroline Fredrickson, Debate or Distraction: Why Some Are Fretting Over the ACS Pocket Constitution, American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (July 20, 2010).
- ^ abcdKate Tummarello, Small Size, Enormous Importance, Roll Call (July 6, 2011).
- ^ abcdThe Cato Constitution, Cato Policy Report (September/October 2005), pp. 4-5.
- ^'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). - ^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.'
- ^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.'
- ^Duara, Nigel (January 21, 2016). 'Oregon armed protesters invoke the Constitution -- annotated by a conspiracy theorist'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^Sunstein, Cass (August 3, 2016). 'Commentary: That pocket Constitution packs a few surprises'. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- ^https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/08/brett-kavanaugh-touched-his-pocket-constitution-least-times-during-his-confirmation-hearings/
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pocket_Constitution&oldid=872690217'
This app is only available on the App Store for iOS devices.
iPhone Screenshots
Description
Senator Sam Ervin pulled one out of his pocket during the Watergate Hearings..
Now prepare to own any legal debate with a copy of the US Constitution on your iPhone or iPod Touch!
Now prepare to own any legal debate with a copy of the US Constitution on your iPhone or iPod Touch!
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Ratings and Reviews
46 Ratings
Picture of the Signing is black
This app works fine and I have paid for the search feature which is very nice but the painting is non viewable - just a black screen. Using an iPad Air 2 - latest iOS.
Please fix as this is the historic signing and would like to see this from time to time.
Thanks!
Please fix as this is the historic signing and would like to see this from time to time.
Thanks!
Great app
Something we should all read and very convenient to have as a reference on your phone. Well designed app. Thank you!
Please update this
I love the convenience, but please do a little more for this app. I find it to be quite embarrassing to see an iOS 12 app, that has not even been updated to fit the screen size of the iPhone 6 and beyond. Why? I don't really understand.
The Proxima Nova family is a complete reworking of Proxima Sans (1994). The original six fonts (three weights with italics) have been expanded to 48 full-featured OpenType fonts. There are three widths: Proxima Nova, Proxima Nova Condensed, and Proxima Nova Extra Condensed. Each width consists of 16 fonts—seven weights with matching italics. To use the 'Proxima Nova Web Fonts' Download the package as a zip file and extract the fonts folder. Put the fonts folder anywhere on your server; In your html. Proxima nova zip.
Information
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Family Sharing
With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.
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See AllThe United States Constitution for Android. This includes the new Android Material theme, and can be customized to either Light or Dark.
Have all of your guaranteed rights, in the palm of your hand!
Features:
- Full US Constitution
- Several other similar documents: The articles of confederation, the declaration of independence, the english bill of rights, and the magna carta
- Ability to quickly jump to wikipedia, google search, or the official page for each item
- Support for light and dark themes
- Text selection
- Gestures for navigation
- Support for large screens and unusual screen ratios
Additions or corrections readily welcomed. Thanks for the support!
All information is sourced from: www.archives.gov
This application is free -- as in America. No ads, no permission requests. I will never include ads as I see this as something that is information important to every user and should be freely available to all. Please do not reach out asking if I'd like to include your 'super-amazing' ad library, I'm not interested, and neither is my audience.
Have all of your guaranteed rights, in the palm of your hand!
Features:
- Full US Constitution
- Several other similar documents: The articles of confederation, the declaration of independence, the english bill of rights, and the magna carta
- Ability to quickly jump to wikipedia, google search, or the official page for each item
- Support for light and dark themes
- Text selection
- Gestures for navigation
- Support for large screens and unusual screen ratios
Additions or corrections readily welcomed. Thanks for the support!
All information is sourced from: www.archives.gov
This application is free -- as in America. No ads, no permission requests. I will never include ads as I see this as something that is information important to every user and should be freely available to all. Please do not reach out asking if I'd like to include your 'super-amazing' ad library, I'm not interested, and neither is my audience.
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There is something exhilarating about watching a national election pivot on the hinge of a pocket Constitution.
Last month, Khizr Khan, a naturalized American citizen who appeared before the Democratic National Convention with his wife, Ghazala, taunted the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by pulling out a well-thumbed pamphlet and asking, “Have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy.” The resulting counterattack by the short-tempered nominee seems to have marked a tipping point in the apparent collapse his campaign so far.
Intriguingly, Trump never actually responded that he has read the Constitution. It is apparent from his earlier suggestion that the document contains 12 articles (correct answer: 7) that he probably has not.
Us Constitution
As Khan suggested, any American can perform this act of citizenship in a few minutes. And the evidence suggests that many are. Right now, the pocket Constitution is number one on the Amazon list of books about the United States; pocket Constitutions of various editions occupy spots 1 through 5 and 7 through 12 on the “constitution” bestseller list. The American Civil Liberties Union’s pocket volume is now on back order.