Although the text of the Constitution is easily accessible for free online, including a printable version via the National Archives and Records Administration, The New York Times reported in 2016 that, "pocket-size versions come with an added feature — a physical representation of Americans' rights that can be hoisted during a congressional hearing, political rally or a spirited discussion with a police officer."[1]
Distribution
Although sometimes identified with the Tea Party movement, which have distributed large numbers of them, pocket Constitutions have been used by figures and advocacy groups on both the left and right for many years.[1][2] Former ACLU president Susan Herman says that the first time she can recall a prominent politician using a pocket Constitution for effect was during the Watergate hearings in 1973, when U.S. Senator Sam Ervin, the chair of the Senate Watergate Committee, pulled out his pocket Constitution, making a "powerful visual impact."[2]
Since the late 20th century, several former and current political and legal leaders have been known for displaying pocket Constitutions in speeches or presentations, or carrying them all the time, including:
^Bartlett, Katharine T. Foreword: A Tribute to William W. Van Alstyne, 54 Duke Law Journal 1355 (April 2005): "No one is more passionate about the U.S. Constitution. Professor Van Alstyne carries it with him virtually everywhere he goes. In the countless lectures and presentations he has given, a small, Duke-blue pocket Constitution is a frequent, usually his only, handout."