The Confirmation Mess: Cleaning Up The Federal Appointments Process

by Stephen L. Carter

Stephen L. Carter tells what's wrong with our confirmation process, explains how it got that way, and suggests what we can do to fix it. Using the most recent confirmation battles as examples, Carter argues that our confirmation process will continue to be bloody until we develop a more balanced attitude toward public service and the Supreme Court by coming to recognize that human beings have flaws, commit sins, and can be redeemed.

Genres: Politics, Law

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1981

About the author

Stephen L. Carter is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale where he has taught since 1982. He has published seven critically acclaimed nonfiction books on topics ranging from affirmative action to religion and politics. His first novel, The Emperor of Ocean Park (2002), was an immediate national best seller. His latest novel is New England White (Knopf, 2007). A recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature-Fiction, he lives near New Haven, Connecticut."

Also writes under the pen name A.L Shields.

Reviews

[Sheldon Lehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, this book was written some years ago, but the points made are scaringly appropro for today. Some really good ideas.

[Cliff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally a big fan of Professor Carter's work. This was...disappointing. Perhaps I had too high of expectations. I knew this book would be dated, he discussed the issue when problems with partisanship and hard-edged ideology were just beginning, things have gotten much worse, but I expected him to take step back and look at the more underlying ideological and social reasons for these political problems. He really didn't go as deep as I'd hoped.

That said, it's still an interesting look at what was going on at the time and what people were thinking, and in some ways it served as a warning beacon. If seen as such, it's still worthwhile.