State constitutions changed wholesale as public opinion shifted

Evidence

Constitutions were brittle. They could be patched up at times, but when they seemed to reflect old or unpopular policies, they had to be changed. In the history of state constitutions, tides often turned; public opinion shifted and evolved; what had been done later seemed wrong, or an obstacle to progress. Time then for amendment: or for a whole new constitution. — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 657

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: American states frequently replaced whole constitutions rather than amend them — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 657; Reconstruction-era southern states temporarily reversed the elective-judge trend — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 2166; The United States has fifty-one separate constitutions

Broader Connections

• American states frequently replaced whole constitutions rather than amend them #corroborates (1.00) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 657
• The United States has fifty-one separate constitutions #expands (0.85)
• Reconstruction-era southern states temporarily reversed the elective-judge trend #qualifies (0.75) — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 2166