Synopses & Reviews
Incisive commentary on recent Supreme Court decisions from America's foremost constitutional scholarsFor nearly all his tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William Rehnquist has enjoyed the support of a slim but usually solid majority of his fellow justices. With it he has been able to effect a dramatic shift to the right in many vital areas of constitutional law. Displaying a judicial activism not seen since the 1930s, Rehnquist and his allies, in a series of 5-4 decisions, have undermined civil rights and weakened the federal government's ability to respond to pressing social needs.
As the Rehnquist court concludes its fifteenth term, the well-known constitutional authority Herman Schwartz has assembled seventeen distinguished legal scholars to evaluate its record on the many controversial issues that have come before it. Among them are Stephen Bright on capital punishment, Charles Ogletree on criminal procedure, Norman Redlich on religion, Allan Morrison and David Vladeck on regulation, and John Mackenzie on Bush v. Gore. The book concludes with an overall reflection on Rehnquist's legacy by Tom Wicker.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [245]-260) and index.
About the Author
Herman Schwartz, a professor of law at American University, is a civil rights and civil liberties activist who has written extensively on constitutional law and human rights. He is the author and editor of three previous books. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword: "Reflections of a Court Watcher" by Tom Wicker
Introduction by Herman Schwartz
"Equal Protection for One Lucky Guy" by John P. MacKenzie
Race and Criminal Justice
"Racial Equality: The World According to Rehnquist" by William L. Taylor
"The Rehnquist Revolution in Criminal Procedure" by Charles J. Ogletree, Jr.
"No Rights of Prisoners" by William E. Hellerstein
"Capital Punishment: Accelerating the Dance with Death" by Stephen Bright
Individual Rights
"The Religion Clauses: A Study in Confusion" by Norman Redlich
"The First Amendment: The High Ground and the Low Road" by Jamin B. Raskin
"Gay Rights" by Chai Feldblum
"The Politics of Abortion" by Susan Estrich
The Assault on Federal Power
"The States' Rights Assault on Federal Authority" by Herman Schwartz
"The Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities of the Executive Branch" by David C. Vladeck and Alan B. Morrison
"Environmental Law" by James Salzman
"The 'Miserly' Approach to Disability Rights" by Andrew J. Imparato
"Antitrust and Business Power" by Eleanor M. Fox
"No Business like No Business" by Lawrence E. Mitchell
Notes
Contributors
Index