Synopses & Reviews
Few institutions have become as ferociously fought over in democratic politics as the courts. While political criticism of judges in this country goes back to its inception, todays intensely ideological assault is nearly unprecedented.
Spend any amount of time among the writings of contemporary right-wing critics of judicial power, and you are virtually assured of seeing repeated complaints about the “imperial judiciary.” American conservatives contend not only that judicial power has expanded dangerously in recent decades, but that liberal judges now willfully write their policy preferences into law. They raise alarms that American courts possess a degree of power incompatible with the functioning of a democratic polity.
The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary explores the anti-judicial ideological trend of the American right, refuting these claims and taking a realistic look at the role of courts in our democracy to show that conservatives have a highly unrealistic conception of their power. Kozlowski first assesses the validity of the conservative view of the Founders intent, arguing that courts have played an assertive role in our politics since their establishment. He then considers contemporary judicial powers to show that conservatives have greatly overstated the extent to which the expansion of rights which has occurred has worked solely to the benefit of liberals.
Kozlowski reveals the ways in which the claims of those on the right are often either unsupported or simply wrong. He concludes that American courts, far from imperiling our democracy or our moral fabric, stand as a bulwark against the abuse of legislative power, acting forcefully, as they have always done, to give meaning to constitutional promises.
Review
“The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary makes a formidable argument that conservatives indeed have an unrealistic conception of the Supreme Court.”
-Austin American Statesman,
Review
“With engaging writing, provocative ideas, and compelling arguments, Mark Kozlowski has taken on the lions of the legal right and their defenders—Antonin Scalia, Robert Bork, George Will, and many others—and left them bruised and bloodied. This is a work at the intersection of law and politics that is a real page turner, for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.”
-Carl Bogus,Roger Williams University
Review
“Neatly exposes the right-wing myth of the imperial judiciary as a contrived morality play, in which federal judges have been assigned the role of villainous foils. As with all morality plays, the script of this one reveals far more about its partisans than it does about the caricatures they rail against.”
-Steven Lubet,Northwestern University
Review
“This thoughtful book will appeal to readers across the political spectrum.”
-Harvard Law Review,
Review
“An invaluable source . . . for anyone interested in navigating the judiciary's politics.”
-National Journal,
Review
“With engaging writing, provocative ideas, and compelling arguments, Mark Kozlowski has taken on the lions of the legal right and their defenders—Antonin Scalia, Robert Bork, George Will, and many others—and left them bruised and bloodied. This is a work at the intersection of law and politics that is a real page turner, for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.”
“Neatly exposes the right-wing myth of the imperial judiciary as a contrived morality play, in which federal judges have been assigned the role of villainous foils. As with all morality plays, the script of this one reveals far more about its partisans than it does about the caricatures they rail against.”
“This thoughtful book will appeal to readers across the political spectrum.”
“An invaluable source . . . for anyone interested in navigating the judiciary's politics.”
“The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary makes a formidable argument that conservatives indeed have an unrealistic conception of the Supreme Court.”
Review
"Sex, Men, and Babies is a significant contribution to a surprisingly under-researched area: the meaning and place of fathering in the lives of young men. It is a valuable contribution to men's studies, to gender studies, and to the sociology of the family." -Barbara Katz Rothman,City University of New York
Review
"A more nuanced and embedded analysis of men's experiences of procreation than we have ever had. One can no longer speak of fatherhood as separate from the decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and reproduction."-Michael Kimmel,State University of New York, Stony Brook
Review
"Readers unfamiliar with the burgeoning literature on the neglected importance of fatherhood will find this study a helpful beginning point."-CHOICE,
Synopsis
Featuring a foreword by Anthony Lewis, this book evaluates the role of the court system in our democracy and considers the claims that it has become too powerful.
Synopsis
View the Table of Contents. Read the Foreword.
This thoughtful book will appeal to readers across the political spectrum.
--Harvard Law Review
An invaluable source . . . for anyone interested in navigating the judiciary's politics.
--National Journal
The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary makes a formidable argument that conservatives indeed have an unrealistic conception of the Supreme Court.
--Austin American Statesman
Kozlowski marshals history to show that not only was a strong and active judiciary intended by the Founding Fathers, but also that it has served the nation extremely well.
--Chicago Sun-Times
Kozlowski effectively demonstrates that courts have far less power to operate as free agents than many believe.
--Law and Politics Book Review
Kozlowski marshals history to show that not only was a strong and active judiciary intended by the Founding Fathers, it has served the nation extremely well. . . . A fine piece of scholarship.
--Washington Post
How many minds his book will change on a subject so charged with emotion remainds dubious, but the points Mr. Kozlowski makes so expertly cannot in fairness be ignored.
--New York Law Journal
Few institutions have become as ferociously fought over in democratic politics as the courts. While political criticism of judges in this country goes back to its inception, today's intensely ideological assault is nearly unprecedented.
Spend any amount of time among the writings of contemporary right-wing critics of judicial power, and you are virtually assured of seeing repeated complaints about the imperial judiciary. American conservatives contend not only thatjudicial power has expanded dangerously in recent decades, but that liberal judges now willfully write their policy preferences into law. They raise alarms that American courts possess a degree of power incompatible with the functioning of a democratic polity.
The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary explores the anti-judicial ideological trend of the American right, refuting these claims and taking a realistic look at the role of courts in our democracy to show that conservatives have a highly unrealistic conception of their power. Kozlowski first assesses the validity of the conservative view of the Founders' intent, arguing that courts have played an assertive role in our politics since their establishment. He then considers contemporary judicial powers to show that conservatives have greatly overstated the extent to which the expansion of rights which has occurred has worked solely to the benefit of liberals.
Kozlowski reveals the ways in which the claims of those on the right are often either unsupported or simply wrong. He concludes that American courts, far from imperiling our democracy or our moral fabric, stand as a bulwark against the abuse of legislative power, acting forcefully, as they have always done, to give meaning to constitutional promises.
Synopsis
Few institutions have become as ferociously fought over in democratic politics as the courts. While political criticism of judges in this country goes back to its inception, today's intensely ideological assault is nearly unprecedented.
Spend any amount of time among the writings of contemporary right-wing critics of judicial power, and you are virtually assured of seeing repeated complaints about the "imperial judiciary." American conservatives contend not only that judicial power has expanded dangerouslyin recent decades, but that liberal judges now willfully write their policy preferences into law. They raise alarms that American courts possess a degree of power incompatible with the functioning of a democratic polity.
The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary explores the anti-judicial ideological trend of the American right, refuting these claims and taking a realistic look at the role of courts in our democracy to show that conservatives have a highly unrealistic conception of their power. Kozlowski first assesses the validity of the conservative view of the Founders' intent, arguing that courts have played an assertive role in our politics since their establishment. He then considers contemporary judicial powers to show that conservatives have greatly overstated the extent to which the expansion of rights which has occurred has worked solely to the benefit of liberals.
Kozlowski reveals the ways in which the claims of those on the right are often either unsupported or simply wrong. He concludes that American courts, far from imperiling our democracy or our moral fabric, stand as a bulwark against the abuse of legislative power, acting forcefully, as they have always done, to give meaning to constitutional promises.
Synopsis
Over the past 15 years much pioneering work has been done on the social demography of young men's sexual activities, contraceptive use, and fertility experiences. But how do men develop and manage their identities in these areas?
In Sex, Men, and Babies, William Marsiglio and Sally Hutchinson provide a compelling and insightful portrait of young men who are capable of anticipating, creating, and fathering human life. Based on in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 70 single men aged 16-30, this is the most comprehensive, qualitative study of its kind. Through intimate stories and self-reflections, these men talk about sex, romance, relationships, birth control, pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions, visions of fathering, and other issues related to men's self-awareness, and the many ways they construct, explain, and change their identities as potential fathers. The interviews also provide valuable insights about how young men experience responsiblities associated with sex and the full range of procreative events.
Accessibly written for a wide audience and raising a host of issues relevant to debates about unplanned pregnancy, childbearing among teens and young adults, and women's and children's well-being, Sex, Men, and Babies is the fullest account available today on how young men conceptualize themselves as procreative beings. Lessons from this study can inform interventions designed to encourage young men to be more aware of their abilities and responsiblities in making babies.
About the Author
William Marsiglio, Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida, has written extensively on the social psychology of men's sexuality, fertility, and fatherhood. His most recent books include
Procreative Man and
Fatherhood: Contemporary Theory, Research, and Social Policy.
Sally Hutchinson, Professor of Nursing at the University of Florida, teaches qualitative methods to doctoral students and has published more than 60 articles on the method or product of qualitative health research. As an international speaker and consultant in qualitative research, she has worked in Brazil, Australia, Egypt, Canada, Scandinavia, and East Africa.
Table of Contents
The imperial judiciary and its malcontents -- The constitution and the judiciary -- The judiciary in history -- The judiciary and the extent of rights -- The judiciary and the politics of rights -- The judiciary and the polity.