I would never have written this book without the encouragement of my literary agent, Wendy Strothman, who has believed in this project from the beginning. I am deeply grateful for all of her efforts. Lauren MacLeod conducted the auction and cheerfully helped with numerous details.
Special thanks to Dean Kevin Johnson and Associate Dean Afra Afsharipour at the UC Davis School of Law for their support and for summer research funding. The librarians at the Mabie Law Library performed heroic labors in tracking down sources. The Committee on Research of the UC Davis Academic Senate provided financial support.
Some of the ideas in this book were initially developed in op-eds for the Washington Post and for the Take Care Blog. I am grateful to Adam Kushner at the Post and Joshua Matz at Take Care for the opportunities. The feedback I received from readers, including Graham Dodge, Irving Greines, and Robert Hugins, was helpful in thinking through these issues. Ashutosh Bhagwat and Brian Soucek helped clarify my thoughts on the First Amendment.
At Ecco, Denise Oswald has been a superb editor, with a keen eye for clarity and concision. Norma Barksdale kept everything running smoothly.
My parents, Carl and Esther Larson, read the entire manuscript twice and provided numerous helpful suggestions.
Finally, my deepest thanks are owed to my family. My wife, Elaine Lau, carefully read the manuscript, and her editorial insights have improved it significantly. My children, Carina and Elliot, make every day better. This book is for them.