Whether competent, terminally ill patients have a right to die with the assistance of their physicians or whether state and national governments have legitimate interests in forbidding the exercise of this right are the central questions around which this book revolves. In either case, essential constitutional issues as well as ethical and medical reflections enter the debate. This book, blending original sources and expert commentary, prepares its readers to enter the discussion by providing an accessible and concise introduction to the law and politics of physician-assisted suicide. Its timely appearance also sets the stage for understanding future state referenda, court decisions, legislation, and executive orders expected in 2002 and beyond.