Packing the Court : The Rise of Judicial Power and the Coming Crisis of the Supreme Court

by Burns, James MacGregor (Author)

• ISBN13: 9780143117414
• ISBN10: 0143117416
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-29
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Summary

From renowned political theorist James MacGregor Burns, an incisive critique of the overreaching power of an ideological Supreme Court For decades, Pulitzer Prize-winner James MacGregor Burns has been one of the great masters of the study of power and leadership in America. In Packing the Court, he turns his eye to the U.S. Supreme Court, an institution that he believes has become more powerful, and more partisan, than the founding fathers ever intended. In a compelling and provocative narrative, Burns reveals how the Supreme Court has served as a reactionary force in American politics at critical moments throughout the nation's history, and concludes with a bold proposal to rein in the court's power.

Author Biography

James MacGregor Burns is the author of more than two dozen books, including Roosevelt: Soldier of Freedom, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and Leadership, which is considered the seminal work in the field of leadership studies. He lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Prologue	p. 1
The First Courtpackers	p. 7
John Marshall's Constitution	p. 25
The Dred Decision	p. 49
War Powers: Lincoln vs. Taney	p. 63
Deconstruction: Republican Reversal	p. 79
A Court for the Gilded Age	p. 93
The Triumphant Mr. Taft	p. 115
FDR's Boldest Gamble	p. 139
"Wild Horses": The Roosevelt Court	p. 157
Leadership: The Warren Court	p. 179
Republicans as Activists	p. 201
Hard Right: The Cheney-Bush Court	p. 225
Epilogue: Ending Judicial Supremacy	p. 247
The Justices of the Supreme Court	p. 261
Acknowledgments	p. 268
Notes	p. 270
Index	p. 313
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