What do you think?
Rate this book
Turning Right Exp
Based on the author's extensive coverage of the Supreme Court (including personal interviews), it lifts the veil of secrecy surrounding the Court by showing who the justices are and how they make their decisions. Explores the gradual shift of the Court to conservative ideology. Highlights the antagonisms between liberals and the new conservative majority showing how Scalia, Kennedy, Souter and now Thomas have fundamentally altered the Court's philosophy. Major reversals and decisions are covered ranging from abortion and civil rights to the right to die and criminal rights. The future direction of the Court is also discussed.
516 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 1992
26 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 27, 2023
A great summary of the right turn in the Supreme Court as retiring Warren Court justices were replaced by conservatives. To some extent this telling picks up where The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court leaves off. But whereas that book contained a lot of inside dirt on the Court and chambers, this one is largely about the changes in judicial philosophy that came with the newly appointed justices and what they did to change the law. The book proceeds term by term up until Marshall's retirement in 1991 and then adds the Thomas hearings as an epilogue.
One of my takeaways from this is that Rehnquist comes across as likely to have been a racist. Rehnquist in Savage's telling never met a government action he wasn't willing to defer to unless it was government action to remedy past or present racism. Death penalty for minors, OK. Admitting coerced confessions, OK. Giving a racial preference in hiring to counteract historical discrimination, no, that is unconstitutional. His antipathy to affirmative action is particularly interesting to me as we are possibly going to see the current Robert's Court take a big swing at affirmative action in the 2023-24 term of the Court.
One of my takeaways from this is that Rehnquist comes across as likely to have been a racist. Rehnquist in Savage's telling never met a government action he wasn't willing to defer to unless it was government action to remedy past or present racism. Death penalty for minors, OK. Admitting coerced confessions, OK. Giving a racial preference in hiring to counteract historical discrimination, no, that is unconstitutional. His antipathy to affirmative action is particularly interesting to me as we are possibly going to see the current Robert's Court take a big swing at affirmative action in the 2023-24 term of the Court.
October 14, 2012
Really exceptional book and fun read - good analysis of the Supreme Court and how it works. Extensive analysis of the courts shift to the right.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews