Storm center : the Supreme Court in American politics / David M. O'Brien.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

O'Brien, David M.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Supreme Court.

United States.

Political questions and judicial power--United States.

Political questions and judicial power.

Judicial process--United States.

Judicial process.

Local Subjects:

United States. Supreme Court.

Physical Description:

479 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Edition:

Third edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Norton, [1993]

Summary:

"In this fully updated version of his 1986 American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award-winning book, noted constitutional law scholar David M. O'Brien again brings the Supreme Court into open view. We meet the current nine justices and their sometimes eccentric predecessors. We hear the surprising backstage stories of their appointments and the presidential efforts to shape the Court. Based on thorough interviews with current and past justices, and continual and exhaustive research into the private working papers of justices as well as their presidents, the book reveals the negotiations and compromises behind the landmark and the early 1990 decisions on abortion, school desegregation, legislative apportionment, free speech, and the rights of the accused. In the midst of the ongoing debate over the Supreme Court, we see, above all, "the least dangerous branch" of government where personality, politics, law, and justice come together in a "storm center" to shape and often change drastically the society in which we live."--[book jacket].

Contents:

1. A Struggle for Power. Abortion, the Court, and American Politics. No Longer "the Least Dangerous" Branch

2. The Cult of the Robe. The Myth of Merit. Process of Appointment. Political Trade-offs. Packing the Court. Betrayed by Justice. Off-the-Bench Activities. Independence and Accountability

3. Life in the Marble Temple. Before the Marble Temple. In the Marble Temple. Justice and Company

Nine Little Law Firms. Administrative staff and Political Struggles. Managing the Caseload

4. Deciding What to Decide. Access to Justice. Setting the Agenda. Agenda for Policy-making

Who Benefits, Who Loses? Review Denied, Justice Denied?

5. Deciding Cases and Writing Opinions. The Role of Oral Argument. Conference on Merits. Opinion-Writing Process. The Value of Judicial Opinions. Institutional and Individual Opinions

6. The Court and American Life. Opinion Days. Communicating Decisions to the Media. Implementing Rulings and Achieving Compliance. The Supreme Court and American Life.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 416-453) and index.

ISBN:

0393035212

9780393035216

039396356X

9780393963564

OCLC:

25914577