The Militia and the Right to Arms

In The Militia and the Right to Arms, or, How the Second Amendment Fell Silent, Uviller and Merkel explore how the original meaning of the Second Amendment has diminished over time, analyzing its historical roots and the evolution of American military forces. They argue that the amendment was initially rooted in the idea of a well-regulated militia to prevent the rise of standing armies, a concept that has largely disappeared. The authors also examine how changing social and constitutional interpretations have contributed to this shift, contrasting their perspective with that of other scholars.