The Burger Court and the Rise of the Judicial Right

By: Michael J. Graetz, Linda Greenhouse

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

When Richard Nixon campaigned for the presidency in 1968, he promised to change the Supreme Court. With four appointments to the court, including Warren E. Burger as the chief justice, he did just that. In 1969 the Burger Court succeeded the famously liberal Warren Court, which had significantly expanded civil liberties and was despised by conservatives across the country. The Burger Court is often described as a "transitional" court between the Warren Court and the Rehnquist and Roberts Courts, a court where little of importance happened. But as this "landmark new book" (The Christian Science Monitor) shows, the Burger Court veered well to the right in such areas as criminal law, race, and corporate power. Authors Michael J. Graetz and Linda Greenhouse excavate the roots of the most significant Burger Court decisions and in "elegant, illuminating arguments" (The Washington Post) show how their legacy affects us today.

©2016 Michael J. Graetz and Linda Greenhouse (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An insightful and well-researched examination of the Burger Court." ( Library Journal)

Just a bit of a left-wing agenda!

I understand the author’s premise to illustrate that the Burger court moved the US to the right. However, I feel the author inserted too much opinion into his work when he could have supported his thesis with fact.