America's Supreme Court

Making Democracy Work

Stephen Breyer

288 pages | 234x156mm

978-0-19-960673-3 | Hardback | 09 December 2010

Price: £22.00

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Offers a unique insight into the history and work of the United States Supreme Court, one of the most powerful and controversial judicial bodies in the world
Accessible to readers without specialist knowledge of the American legal system or constitutional law, ideal as introductory reading for students of any discipline looking to understand the American court
Sets out the circumstances of some of the Court's most famous and divisive cases, offering a judge's view on key moments in American legal and political history
Restates Justice Breyer's views on the role of a constitutional court in interpreting a democratic constitution, an essential reference point for all working on comparative constitutional court

The American Supreme Court is one of the most powerful and controversial judicial bodies in the world. The Court has assumed the role of settling fundamental issues of American social policy through its power of constitutional interpretation, and its rulings are among the most divisive, and controversial events in American political life.

How did the American court come to acquire such power? How does it maintain its authority and public confidence in the face of deep political divides. In this book Stephen Breyer, a leading intellect in the current Court, gives an insider's view on how America's Supreme Court came to acquire such a prominent role in American public life, how the Court operates, and how it can continue to maintain the trust of the American public as the final arbiter of the values underlying America's democratic constitution.

Breyer introduces the history of the Court by telling the stories of the landmark cases that defined the role the Court would play in American politics. He then offers a powerful restatement of his views on how a constitutional court should fulfil its function as final interpreter of a democratic constitution. In doing so, he examines some of the Court's most controversial recent decisions, on issues such as the legality of detention in Guantanamo Bay, and the scope of protection of gun ownership in Heller.

The book offers a unique introduction to how the American Supreme Court does and should operate, invaluable to all students of American law and politics, and anyone looking to understand the workings of American politics.

Readership: Readers interested in constitutional law and theory, or the practice of the U.S. Supreme Court; students, academics and political scientists interested in democratic theory and constitutionalism; Judges and practitioners involved in interpreting constitutions and statutes.

The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.

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America's Supreme Court

Making Democracy Work

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