Interpreting the constitution is a thoroughly engaging book following a decade of frequently shrill dispute about the power of judicial review wellington asserts the inevitability and strength of the common law approach to constitutional adjudication. A famous and controversial 1913 book an economic interpretation of the constitution of the united states by historian charles beard asserted that the structure of the constitution reflected the personal financial interests of the writers critics of beard assert that the constitution was written for reasons of unity and security. Constitutional interpretation or constitutional construction the term more often used by the founders is the process by which legal decisions are made that are justified by a constitution although not necessarily correctly constitutional controversies are about whether an official act is consistent with and authorized by a constitution or constitutional statute or court decision. Originalists think that the best way to interpret the constitution is to determine how the framers intended the constitution to be interpreted they look to several sources to determine this intent including the contemporary writings of the framers newspaper articles the federalist papers and the notes from the constitutional convention itself