Preface: The Second Generation of Second Amendment Law and Policy

Abstract

The cacophonous and charged public debate over gun policy reflects a nation deeply divided about the appropriate balance between gun rights and gun regulation. The Second Amendment often dominates that debate—as both a symbol and a right enforceable in the courts. This preface provides an overview of the evolution of Second Amendment scholarship in the years before and immediately after District of Columbia v. Heller. It then introduces the essays in this volume.

Keywords: Second Amendment, constitutional law, firearms, jurisprudence