Supreme Disorder

Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court

By: Ilya Shapiro

Narrated by: Fred Stella

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The brutal confirmation battles we saw over Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are symptoms of a larger problem with our third branch of government, a problem that began long before Kavanaugh, Merrick Garland, Clarence Thomas, or even Robert Bork: the courts’ own self-corruption, aiding and abetting the expansion of federal power.

Ilya Shapiro, director of the Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies, takes readers inside the unknown history of fiercely partisan judicial nominations and explores reform proposals that could return the Supreme Court to its proper constitutional role. Confirmation battles over justices will only become more toxic and unhinged as long as the Court continues to ratify the excesses of the other two branches of government and the parties that control them. Only when the Court begins to rebalance constitutional order, curb administrative overreach, and return power back to the states will the bitter partisan war to control the judiciary finally end.

©2020 Ilya Shapiro (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Tremendous detail

A lot of detail about the earlier supreme court. The more recent detail covered important points. This would include former president Gerald Ford when he was involved with the impeachment of a Supreme Court Justice

give the power to the states

what a wonderful book. well written and thought out. the author really tries not to be political but it is the nature of the beast. our law system should really not be political...laws are for the politicians.great civics and history book.

Outstanding Analysis of the Supreme Court

Most people I know, regardless of their political views, have lately become quite unhappy with the Supreme Court as an institution, but I have not heard any ideas on how the situation can be rectified.....until now. Shapiro covers the history of the Court from its inception until just prior to the 2020 presidential election, and herein lies my only criticism: I wish he had waited 2-3 more years before writing this book----not that any of his conclusions or proposals for reform would have changed----so that we could see his portrayal and analysis the 2020 elections and their subsequent litigation. Although one of my undergraduate majors was American history, I was surprised by how little I knew about the functioning of the Supreme Court, and its justices, during the 19th century. Finally, I was very surprised and impressed by his lucid and obective analysis. The reader can easily agree (or disagree) with his ideas of reform regardless of their socio-political views! I hope another book from this author will be forthcoming.