The Most Powerful Court in the World

A History of the Supreme Court of the United States

De: Stuart Banner

Narrado por: Graham Winton

Will abortion be legal? Should people of the same sex be allowed to marry? May colleges prefer black applicants over white ones? These are among the most bitterly contested issues in the United States today. We answer these questions, and many more, by presenting them to nine lawyers—the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. No other nation commits so many important questions to its highest court.

Stuart Banner’s The Most Powerful Court in the World is an authoritative history of the United States Supreme Court from the Founding era to the present. Not merely a history of the Court’s opinions and jurisprudence, it is also a rich account of the Court in the broadest sense—of the sorts of people who become justices and the methods by which they are chosen, of how the Court does its work, and of its relationship with other branches of government. It is about how the Court acquired so much power, how it has retained its power in the face of repeated challenges and criticisms, and what it has done with its power over the years. Rather than praising or criticizing the Court’s decisions, Banner makes the case that one cannot fully understand the decisions without knowing about the institution that produced them.

Offering a fresh analytical window into today’s contentious debates about the Court—debates that often rest on dubious ideas about the Court’s history—The Most Powerful Court in the World helps listeners see cases through the justices’ eyes.

“Stuart Banner’s book is a study of the court that situates this institution firmly in both its social and human context. It is also, in my opinion, the most interesting, the most readable, and the most insightful history of the court yet produced. Congratulations goes to Stuart Banner for this tremendous achievement.”—Lawrence Friedman, Marion Rice Kirkwood Professor of Law, Emeritus, Stanford Law School

©2024 Oxford University Press (P)2024 Recorded Books

Greatness

If you’re a history/supreme court buff like me, this is the best book to explain all the questions one may have about the secret black robe society. I HIGHLY recommend this book

History

Somewhat dry, although revealing background I found interesting. I would recommend it if you have an interest in this powerful balancing force in our three-pronged republic.