The Supreme Court and the Powers of the American Government / Edition 2

by SAGE Publications

Overview

Examines the relationship between the Court and federal and state government.

This updated edition analyzes the Court’s role in defining the powers and limits of government, focusing on the constitutional basis for each branch’s powers, the evolution of the Court’s interactions with federal and state government, key issues, and major cases through the 2007–2008 term. The book’s chapters detail the Court’s work in four areas: the powers of the:

• Judiciary
• Congress
• President
• Federal government over the states

The Supreme Court and Powers of American Government, Second Edition, begins with a description of federal jurisdiction, federal judicial powers and judicial restraint. An in-depth discussion of the Court’s interactions with Congress, the president, and the states follows. The book concludes by looking at the pressures that Congress and the president can bring to bear on the Court. Among the topics discussed in this volume are:

• Presidential privilege and immunity
• The war on terror
• The commerce power
• Supreme Court appointments and confirmations

Appendixes include a glossary of legal terms, an explanation of how to read a legal citation, and a select bibliography. This reference will be of interest to all researchers, and in particular, students and teachers of history and political science classes that address the Court’s role in defining the powers of American government.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780872894259
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/14/2009
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

Editorial Reviews

This update to the 1997 edition puts Savage (reporter, Los Angeles Times) in the authorial seat, replacing the previous volume authors Joan Biskupic and Elder Witt. The revision also saves topics concerning individuals' rights for the subject-specific volume reviewed above. Savage divides the book into six chapters, beginning with the Court's powers to shape legislative and executive powers and ending with these branches' reciprocal influence on Court decisions. A separate chapter treats the Court's relationship to individual states' rights. Sidebars define Supreme Court inventions, like Senate Term Limits. Using specific cases as illustration, the book engagingly explains complex historical and procedural issues.

Library Journal