On the Supreme Court

“[Fisher] is a bona fide public intellectual who brings much to this compact yet comprehensive book. This work serves as an excellent primer on the US Supreme Court. Summing Up: Highly recommended.” —CHOICE “Fisher has offered a helpful general overview of an important subject, one which corrects many deficiencies in the way constitutional law is normally taught.” —The Review of Politics "Fisher’s discussion of history in On the Supreme Court is good, as are his explanations of Supreme Court opinions. His writing is crystal clear, and the book is an excellent primer. It is good to have a short text that looks at the Supreme Court “without illusion or idolatry.” —The Federal Lawyer “In this book, Louis Fisher uses his deep understanding of the Supreme Court to address fundamental questions about the Court. Central to the book is his powerful argument that the Court ‘has been neither infallible nor final.’ Readers will learn much from Fisher’s careful analysis of the Court’s role as interpreter of the Constitution and from his incisive critiques of major decisions by the Court.” —Lawrence Baum, Ohio State University “On the Supreme Court is a wonderful debunking of the judicial supremacy myth. Lou Fisher shows that the Court both does not and should not speak the last word on the Constitution’s meaning. By highlighting instances where the Court clearly got it wrong as well as the power of elected government to countermand the Court, Fisher’s book is a must read for anyone interested in the Supreme Court’s place in our system of government.” —Neal E. Devins, William and Mary Law School “With meticulous research and vivid detail, Fisher tears down the mythology that props up judicial supremacy. A great work of historical and institutional analysis that puts the Supreme Court back in its place, properly locating it within a system of shared constitutional interpretation.” —Ryan Eric Emenaker, College of the Redwoods “On the Supreme Court is a thought-provoking book from one of today’s most distinguished and prolific constitutional scholars. . . . Fisher’s study is an essential read for anyone who is interested in the Supreme Court, and it deserves a privileged place in the ongoing debate about judicial review and constitutional meaning.” —Mitchel A. Sollenberger, University of Michigan–Dearborn “In this wholly original and deeply informed book, Louis Fisher leads readers through the flawed and discredited decisions of the Supreme Court—and their vast consequences. Yet his account conveys respect and even love for the Court and for Congress and state legislatures that can check its power. The authority of this view of the Court comes from 40 years on Capitol Hill helping members of Congress think critically about the claims of executive and judicial power. In the end, the book is a call for getting the balance of power right.” —Gail Russell Chaddock Washington Political Editor, The Christian Science Monitor

• Chapter 1 Exercising Judicial Review; Chapter 2 How the Court Decides; Chapter 3 “Self-Inflicted Wounds”; Chapter 4 Judicial Failings after World War II; Chapter 5 Individual and Minority Rights; conclusion Conclusion: A Broad and Continuing Dialogue;