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Supreme Court Decisions
A selection of the landmark Supreme Court decisions that have shaped American society
Penguin presents a series of six portable, accessible, and—above all—essential reads from American political history, selected by leading scholars. Series editor Richard Beeman, author of The Penguin Guide to the U.S. Constitution , draws together the great texts of American civic life, including the founding documents, pivotal historical speeches, and important Supreme Court decisions, to create a timely and informative mini-library of perennially vital issues.
The Supreme Court is one of America's leading expositors of and participants in debates about American values. Legal expert Jay M. Feinman introduces and selects some of the most important Supreme Court Decisions of all time, which touch on the very foundations of American society. These cases cover a vast array of issues, from the powers of government and freedom of speech to freedom of religion and civil liberties. Feinman offers commentary on each case and excerpts from the opinions of the Justices that show the range of debate in the Supreme Court and its importance to civil society. Among the cases included will be Marbury v. Madison , on the supremacy of the Constitution and the power of judicial review; U.S. v. Nixon , on separation of powers; and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld , a post-9/11 case on presidential power and due process.
Penguin presents a series of six portable, accessible, and—above all—essential reads from American political history, selected by leading scholars. Series editor Richard Beeman, author of The Penguin Guide to the U.S. Constitution , draws together the great texts of American civic life, including the founding documents, pivotal historical speeches, and important Supreme Court decisions, to create a timely and informative mini-library of perennially vital issues.
The Supreme Court is one of America's leading expositors of and participants in debates about American values. Legal expert Jay M. Feinman introduces and selects some of the most important Supreme Court Decisions of all time, which touch on the very foundations of American society. These cases cover a vast array of issues, from the powers of government and freedom of speech to freedom of religion and civil liberties. Feinman offers commentary on each case and excerpts from the opinions of the Justices that show the range of debate in the Supreme Court and its importance to civil society. Among the cases included will be Marbury v. Madison , on the supremacy of the Constitution and the power of judicial review; U.S. v. Nixon , on separation of powers; and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld , a post-9/11 case on presidential power and due process.
146 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2012
42 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
Richard Beeman
18 books23 followersRichard Roy Beeman was an American historian and biographer specializing in the American Revolution. Born in Seattle, he published multiple books, and was the John Walsh Centennial Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 23, 2017
It's hard to imagine why I would give a civics book a five star review. It's not a "book" at all, just a series of excerpts of some of the most famous of Supreme Court cases. I've never been interested in politics until recently (I think 2015-16 probably activated a lot of people). Yet I've always been drawn to Supreme Court cases. Though some may disagree, I've always appreciated that justices are lifetime appointments. Removing the fundraising-campaign-reelection infrastructure, I believe frees up these individuals to focus on their jobs without fear of consequences. That gives them the ability to make bold rulings that withstand the test of time more than congressional acts or presidential rulings, which in hindsight seem many times like shortsighted pandering.
I love that SC decisions blend logic, morality, law, technology, and philosophy. It's an extremely cerebral book, in that you will be forced to think about an issue in a new way, regardless of your personal belief. The first tough lesson to learn is thinking of the SC as the living embodiment of the constitution, as written, not a group of nine superthinkers dispensing morality for the masses. This particular tension came to light, for example, when John Roberts upheld the ACA as a constitutionally sanctioned tax, while condemning the act itself. The book is filled with examples of this. It is tempting to read the paragraph summary of each case and make a personal judgment before diving in to the decision's text. This is very difficult to do. Each decision (along with the many dissents included) is carefully crafted from a unique perspective, and if you want more than a laundry list of seminal decisions, then you must tune yourself to appreciating that perspective for the moment.
Having said all that, it's refreshing to finally have some content understanding (rather than headline understanding) of such famous cases as Marbury v. Madison, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Citizens United. I may be late to the table with my civic education, but I know there are millions out there who yearn for the who-what-why explanations of why their country is the way it is. To that yearning, I will always prefer to go to the source itself to avoid the coloration of another's telling.
I love that SC decisions blend logic, morality, law, technology, and philosophy. It's an extremely cerebral book, in that you will be forced to think about an issue in a new way, regardless of your personal belief. The first tough lesson to learn is thinking of the SC as the living embodiment of the constitution, as written, not a group of nine superthinkers dispensing morality for the masses. This particular tension came to light, for example, when John Roberts upheld the ACA as a constitutionally sanctioned tax, while condemning the act itself. The book is filled with examples of this. It is tempting to read the paragraph summary of each case and make a personal judgment before diving in to the decision's text. This is very difficult to do. Each decision (along with the many dissents included) is carefully crafted from a unique perspective, and if you want more than a laundry list of seminal decisions, then you must tune yourself to appreciating that perspective for the moment.
Having said all that, it's refreshing to finally have some content understanding (rather than headline understanding) of such famous cases as Marbury v. Madison, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Citizens United. I may be late to the table with my civic education, but I know there are millions out there who yearn for the who-what-why explanations of why their country is the way it is. To that yearning, I will always prefer to go to the source itself to avoid the coloration of another's telling.
March 15, 2020
If you want an easy read of the last 100 years of essential Supreme Court cases, this is def the book!
As a law student, I’ve read the long versions of each of these cases, and it took me several passes to understand what was going on. This book provides a quick synopsis with a contextual background for each case. It also translates a lot of outdated language into modern terms, which makes it a fast read.
Even if you aren’t a lawyer or have plans to become one, this book is a must read to be an informed citizen!
As a law student, I’ve read the long versions of each of these cases, and it took me several passes to understand what was going on. This book provides a quick synopsis with a contextual background for each case. It also translates a lot of outdated language into modern terms, which makes it a fast read.
Even if you aren’t a lawyer or have plans to become one, this book is a must read to be an informed citizen!
July 13, 2024
this felt like reading a horror novel given the state of our current court.
docked a star because it didn’t include roe, chevron, or engel????
docked a star because it didn’t include roe, chevron, or engel????
July 4, 2023
I got into privacy last summer and realized then how well-written Supreme Court opinions were and this heavily edited for length book was a great next step into getting an overview of American jurisprudence across the last two and half centuries. John Marshall, while maybe being the GOAT, is near impossible to make any sense of while Anton Scalia, while maybe being the devil, is probably my favorite judicial writer of all time. Even in some cases like Plessy vs. Ferguson, the way these opinions are crafted helps me see reason in both sides of an argument, but luckily Harlan drops a mic in his dissent there. Ironic that SCOTUS delivered three controversial 6-3 opinions on the day I finished this book, but luckily I've already learned about the term that we should all be more cognizant of in the future: "strict scrutiny."
January 6, 2019
Great little read! A must if you’re interested in civics or enjoy debating politics with your friends over drinks or coffee (preferably both, at a ratio that promotes open-mindedness).
The editors make this book fantastic for the layperson by cutting down majority decisions into 2-6 page summaries that highlight the legal principles and philosophies at work while removing extraneous details about the actual case and updating archaic language (in some cases) from the 19th century. Importantly, they also include dissents for some controversial cases and for those later overturned by the court, such as Plessy v. Ferguson.
The editors make this book fantastic for the layperson by cutting down majority decisions into 2-6 page summaries that highlight the legal principles and philosophies at work while removing extraneous details about the actual case and updating archaic language (in some cases) from the 19th century. Importantly, they also include dissents for some controversial cases and for those later overturned by the court, such as Plessy v. Ferguson.
August 26, 2017
Very interesting -- Especially given current events.
October 16, 2017
This was very well done and I really enjoyed reading this book.
June 26, 2018
Good selection of the greatest hits of SCOTUS. Research for a class I'm teaching.
April 8, 2021
Great book containing all the great hits of the Supreme Court. I have read about Plessy v Ferguson--noting that Justice John Marshall Harlan was the LONE voice criticizing, "Separate, but Equal" result of that case in 1877. Imagine my surprise when I read that the Brown v Board of Education which negated the "Separate, but Equal" result in 1954, and Justice John Marshall Harlan was listed as still being on the bench. It would mean he would be nearing 130 years old. Surprise, the 1st Harlan's grandson had the same exact name. So, one could say the Harlan Family bookend-ed the Jim Crow Laws.
Great summaries.
Great summaries.
August 25, 2017
A very interesting read, I immensely enjoyed it.
This book is a collection of various landmark Supreme Court Cases. At the starting of each case, there will be a short introduction to the background of the case involved. Following that is the opinion of the Court which, in some cases, is accompanied with a dissent opinion. In each cases, the opinion of the Court is lay out logically, backed with references to Constitutional principles and to previous Court cases.
This book is a collection of various landmark Supreme Court Cases. At the starting of each case, there will be a short introduction to the background of the case involved. Following that is the opinion of the Court which, in some cases, is accompanied with a dissent opinion. In each cases, the opinion of the Court is lay out logically, backed with references to Constitutional principles and to previous Court cases.
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May 22, 2025i borrowed this from jt
March 29, 2013
A customer at the bookstore asking about Justice Sandra Day O'Connor led me to this book. I don't really know much about the Supreme Court, but thought it would be an interesting read. With verdicts spanning a variety of times and issues, listening to their final thoughts and opinions was informative. Not something you can sit down and read in one sitting but chapter by chapter was great.
December 22, 2014
...walking through time through halls where any court case ended justly...inspiring writing like Justice Jackson's "West Virginia v. Barnette" and Justice Kennedy's "Lawrence v. Texas" opinions...reasons for case verdicts that shape life being made better for people around us--loved ones, friends...cases like "Brown v. Topeka Board of Education"..things I haven't found anywhere else to read..:)
February 19, 2016
As a law student it was a great refresher on cases I've seen before and even introduced me to one's I've never read.
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February 19, 2016342.73 S9599 2012
May 24, 2018
This book was well written and interesting. I received a free copy from a Goodreads giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews