| The Nine - Inside The Secret World Of The Supreme Court
(2007)
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| Front Cover |
Book Details |
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| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
Conservatism - United States; Judicial review - United States; Law - Political aspects; Political questions and judicial power--United States; United States. Supreme Court |
| Publication Date |
9/18/2007 |
| Format |
Hardcover (9.4
x
6.5
mm)
|
| Publisher |
Doubleday |
| Language |
English |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover |
|
| Description |
| As the Supreme Court continues to rule on important issues, it is essential to understand how it operates. Based on exclusive interviews with the justices themselves and other insiders, this is a timely "state of the union" about America's most elite legal institution. From Anthony Kennedy's self-importance, to Antonin Scalia's combativeness, to David Souter's eccentricity, and even Sandra Day O'Connor's fateful breach with President George W. Bush, this book offers a rare personal look at how the individual style of each justice affects the way in which they wield their considerable power. Toobin shows how--since Reagan--conservatives were long thwarted in their attempts to control the Court by some of the very justices they pressured Presidents to appoint. That struggle ended with the recent appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito, and Toobin relays the behind-the-scenes drama in detail, as well as the ensuing 2007 Court term.--From publisher description. |
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| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
KF8748 .T66 2007 |
| Dewey |
347.7326 |
| ISBN |
9780385516402 |
| Edition |
[1st ed.] |
| Cover Price |
$29.95 |
| No. of Pages |
384 |
| First Edition |
Yes |
| Rare |
No |
|
| Notes/Review |
I feel the narrative of this book meanders a bit: not organized in chronological order, not justice by justice, not issue by issue. Nonetheless, I found it compelling.
This book basically covers the court as it stood in 2007, and gives background on the prior two decades to describe the move of the court from moderate to arch-conservative.
It really only fails, for me, in the last paragraph. The author says, "the Court is a product of a democracy and represents, with sometimes chilling precision, the best and worst of the people." Given that the last three appointments to the court were by a president who received a minority of votes, was impeached twice, and one seat from the previous president was never filled, we can no longer in good faith say that the Court is the product of a democracy.
This shows in the recent Court rulings. Toobin makes the case, fairly successfully I believe, that the court has (historically) ruled in accordance with the prevailing sentiments of the people. But, today, when only 13% of people think abortion should be illegal (and that number has been decreasing), we see Roe v Wade overturned. We saw (in 2014) a Court that somehow decided that a legal construct can have a "deeply held religious belief", and in 2008 we saw the Court take one of its most activist stances by essentially erasing the first 13 words of the 2nd Amendment (Heller).
Aside from the last paragraph of the book, I think it was spot-on. The central thesis is that the conservative Court wants these things: expand executive power (for Republicans but not for Democrats); end racial preferences (designed to undo the effects of 400 years of repression) in employment, business, and government; speed executions (how very "pro-life" of them!), and to welcome religion into the public sphere (as long as that religion is Christianity). I've paraphrased a bit: Toobin doesn't say the bits I have in parentheses. |
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