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The most dangerous branch : inside the Supreme Court's assault on the Constitution / David A. Kaplan.

by Kaplan, David A., 1956-

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United States. Supreme Court.

Political questions and judicial power -- United States.

Constitutional law -- United States.

9781524759902 (hc.)

xiv, 446 p., 8 unnumbered pages of plates : ill., most of which are in col. ; 24 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 375-417) and index.

Introduction: The end of the world as they knew it -- Prologue: Death at the ranch -- The marble temple -- No. 9 -- Confirmation world -- Deploying the warhead -- The institutionalist and the notorious -- The left flank -- The right flank -- Deus ex machina -- Sleeping giant -- The runaway court -- Revenge of the right -- James Madison made us do it -- For the love of money -- A disdain for democracy -- Roe by any other name? -- Epilogue: A less dangerous branch.

"In a richly reported, behind-the-scenes portrait of the Supreme Court and the secret world of its nine justices, veteran national journalist David A. Kaplan shows how the Court, far from being the "least dangerous branch" of government, in the words of Alexander Hamilton, has become in many respects the most dangerous branch, subverting democracy and betraying the Constitution. Never before has the Supreme Court been more central to American politics. A sizable percentage of voters in the most recent presidential election chose a candidate based largely on who they thought Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump would nominate to replace the fiery Antonin Scalia. In the face of a dysfunctional and paralyzed Congress, it is the Court, rather than our elected officials, that decides such divisive issues as gerrymandering, abortion, gun rights, voting rights, same sex marriage, immigration, and campaign finance. In a sweeping narrative that examines the personalities and quirks of the Justices, The Most Dangerous Branch shows how, going as far back as Roe v Wade, the Court has re-shaped America's political and social landscape in key cases on the left and the right. As much as the Chief Justice claims to be only calling balls and strikes, in fact the Court has not hesitated to put its collective thumb on the scale of justice to swing the law in the majority's direction. As a result, nine nonelected life-tenured lawyers, trained at but two elite universities (Harvard and Yale) have taken it upon themselves to decide the fate and direction of the nation. Kaplan's book gets at the heart of who these Justices are, and uncovers their personal agendas -- including that of Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's impatient and quietly radical new appointee. And with the retirement of even a single justice, the Court could, under Trump and a filibuster-proof Senate, be transformed into a insurmountable conservative voting block that will reign even more supreme over America for a generation"--From publisher.

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