Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the US Constitution, and when you connect a long-established, little-changed document like the Constitution to the repercussions it’s caused, the document can remain static while the repercussions continue to reverberate. Enter: Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today.

Focusing on the political fallout in our times from the decisions made in 1787, husband-and-wife team Cynthia and Sanford Levinson take readers back to the creation of this historic document and discuss how contemporary problems were first introduced—then they offer possible solutions. Think Electoral College, gerrymandering, even the Senate.

Many of us take these features in our system for granted. But they came about through haggling in an overheated room in 1787, and we’re still experiencing the ramifications.

While most books for young readers about the Constitution focus on our rights as citizens and praise the Framers for creating our form of government, Fault Lines in the Constitution looks at the document with a critical eye, focusing on the structure of our government and how the Constitution does not always work. Even with a diminishing presence of civic literacy and government history in education, Cynthia and Sanford Levinson encourage exploration and discussion from young and old readers alike by making a 230-year-old document relevant to today’s society.

Join co-authors Cynthia and Sanford Levinson in a conversation surrounding the continual and consistent repercussions we are experiencing from the Constitution today at faultlinesintheconstitution.com!

“Insightful… Much food for thought on the application and relevance of many of the Constitution’s stipulations. Essential for class discussions, debate teams, and reports.” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

“A fascinating, thoughtful, and provocative look at what in the Constitution keeps the United States from being ‘a more perfect union.’” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

“Lately there’s been dismay that civics, government, and history have taken a backseat in classrooms. This smartly conceived book goes a long way toward reintroducing students to those subjects….the Levinsons link both history and current events as they offer an illustrative group of examples that show where the Constitution got it right—and wrong…. Although the font, charts, and well-written text make this appealing, it’s not always an easy read. It is, however, an important one.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

You can find Fault Lines in the Constitution at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes& Noble this September.