ABC-CLIO Supreme Court Handbooks – serie

A comprehensive examination of the rulings, key figures, and legal legacy of the Stone Court.When President Franklin Roosevelt got the chance to appoint seven Supreme Court justices within five years, he created a bench packed with liberals and elevated justice Harlan Fiske Stone to lead them. Roosevelt Democrats expected great things from the Stone Court. But for the most part, they were disappointed.The Stone Court significantly expanded executive authority. It also supported the rights of racial minorities, laying the foundation for subsequent rulings on desegregation and discrimination. But whatever gains it made in advancing individual rights were overshadowed by its decisions regarding the evacuation of Japanese Americans. Although the Stone Court itself did not profoundly affect individual rights jurisprudence, it became the bridge between the pre-1937 constitutional interpretation and the "new constitutionalism" that came after.

A survey and analysis of the historical context, key figures, and lasting legacy of the Warren Court.Earl Warren served as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1953 until the end of the tumultuous 1960s. This book shows why conservative critics still view this court as out of control and leftist, while its liberal fans still cheer what they view as the court's progressive activism.Among this court's contributions to American life are the rights accorded to the accused in Miranda v. Arizona, the limits it placed on school prayer, and the abolition of school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education. To understand such basic American principles as equal protection, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, separation of church and state, the rights of the accused, and the right to privacy, every citizen should understand the Warren Court.

A valuable analysis of the political environment, judicial records, and implications of rulings during the era of the Burger Court.The Burger Court delivered significant decisions in cases involving the separation of powers, equal protection, free speech, and civil liberties. The Burger Court guaranteed in Roe v. Wade a woman's right to an abortion, demonstrating that this court definitely had a mind of its own. This handbook is as suitable for the preparation of term papers and debates as it is for ready reference and more involved research.Includes extensive reference materials such as further reading and bibliographical sections directing users to primary sources and Court documentsCovers key people such as Archibald Cox and Gerald Ford, laws such as the Equal Rights Amendment and the Voting Rights Act, and events such as the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the Watergate Scandal

An in-depth analysis of the workings and legacy of the Supreme Court led by Charles Evans Hughes.Charles Evans Hughes, a man who, it was said, "looks like God and talks like God," became chief justice in 1930, a year when more than 1,000 banks closed their doors. Today the Hughes Court is often remembered as a conservative bulwark against Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. But that view, according to author Michael Parrish, is not accurate.In an era when Nazi Germany passed the Nuremberg Laws and extinguished freedom in much of Western Europe, the Hughes Court put the stamp of constitutional approval on New Deal entitlements, required state and local governments to bring their laws into conformity with the federal Bill of Rights, and took the first steps toward developing a more uniform code of criminal justice.Biographical portraits of the Hughes Court justices, including Harlan Fiske Stone, Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, and William O. DouglasExtensive analysis of the major decisions of the Hughes Court, particularly in the areas of civil liberties and government and the economy

A detailed look at the Rehnquist Court's key figures, rulings, and major changes to U.S. constitutional law.Did the Rehnquist Court, which followed the liberal Warren Court and the moderate Burger Court, achieve a conservative counterrevolution? Using quantitative data to supplement detailed opinion analysis, political scientist Thomas R. Hensley argues that continuity not change characterized the Rehnquist Court era. But without a doubt, the Rehnquist Court was frequently a war zone.Fourteen justices served during the Rehnquist era, which began in 1986 during the Reagan administration and ended with Rehnquist's death in September 2005. Presidents Reagan and Bush appointed conservative justices and set in motion an assault on the "ultra-liberal" decisions made by the two previous courts. But President Clinton appointed two moderate Democrats, slowing the conservative juggernaut. The result? One of the most fascinating, contentious, and crucial periods in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Spanning the years from 1946 until 1953, the Vinson Court made the legal transition from World War II to the Korean War, and the outspoken justices Felix Frankfurter and Hugo Black helped shape its legacy.The Vinson Court summons students and legal professionals to understand the impact and tensions of Fred Vinson's term as Chief Justice from 1946–1953. Court scholar Michal R. Belknap explores McCarthyism, the Cold War, racial segregation, and capital punishment from the Supreme Court's view. These controversies shaped the most important decision on presidential powers, restrictions on political expression, and a nasty conflict over the Rosenbergs.Significant rulings are reviewed, and the 12 justices on the Vinson Court including Felix Frankfurter and Hugo Black are introduced. Clashes were common between some of the Supreme Court's strongest personalities, and these are highlighted throughout the text. The court's legacy completes this powerful study of constitutional law.Four narrative chapters on the justices, decisions, and legacy of the Vinson Court12 photographs and biographies of the justices who served on the Vinson Court

An authoritative survey of the Taft Court, which served from 1921 to 1929, and the impact it had on the U.S. legal system, social order, economics, and politics.William Howard Taft's experience in the executive branch gave him a unique perspective on the court's work. He initiated judicial reform and was the prime mover behind the Judiciary Act of 1925, which gave the court wide latitude to accept cases based on their importance to the nation.The Taft Court decided about 1,600 cases during its nine terms. This book examines the "aggregate" personality of the court through discussions of individual voting characteristics, bloc alignments, and other patterned behavior. It also charts the strengths and weaknesses of the rulings and demonstrates Taft's penchant for increasing the impact of decisions by pursuing consensus among the justices, two of whom were his own appointees when he served as president.An A–Z set of entries on the people, laws, events, and concepts that are important to an understanding of the Taft CourtA photograph of and a brief bibliography on each justice

An exploration of the U.S. Supreme Court during an era of dramatic sectionalism, slavery, and the Civil War.The Taney Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy presents an in-depth analysis of the decisions and impact of the U.S. Supreme Court during the three-decade tenure of Roger B. Taney, one of the most important chief justices in U.S. history. A careful analysis of landmark decisions such as Dred Scott v. Sandford, Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge, and Prigg v. Pennsylvania shows how the court interpreted issues of commerce, contracts, slavery, and separation of powers, and how, despite its perception as being pro-states rights, it actually expanded federal judicial power. Profiles of the 20 justices who served on the Taney Court place a special emphasis on those who made the most significant impact, including Taney, Joseph Story, Benjamin Curtis, and John A. Campbell.

A fresh interpretation of the workings and legacy of the Supreme Court during the tenure of Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller.The Fuller Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy presents an in-depth analysis of the decisions and impact of the U.S. Supreme Court during the twenty-two year reign of Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller. An exploration of key Court decisions—ranging from railroad rate regulation and the Due Process Clause to the 1894 income tax—reveals how the Court assigned a high priority to individual liberty, which it defined largely in economic terms.A revealing discussion of the Commerce Clause and the Interstate Commerce Commission shows how the Fuller Court both limited and accepted some expansion of federal authority. Profiles of the nineteen justices who served on the Fuller Court place a special emphasis on those who made the most significant impact, including John Marshall Harlan, Samuel F. Miller, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.Places the work of the Fuller Court in historical context and examines the economic and social changes that were transforming U.S. society at the end of the 19th centuryProvides an analysis of the historical impact and continuing legacy of the Fuller Court's decisions in the areas of federalism, protection of liberty, and the rights of property owners

A revealing examination of the Supreme Court's justices and their "cautiously moderate" jurisprudence during the ten-year tenure of Chief Justice Salmon Portland Chase.The Chase Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy examines the workings and legacies of the Supreme Court during the tenure of Chief Justice Salmon Portland Chase. Accompanying an in-depth analysis of the Chase Court's landmark rulings on Civil War and Reconstruction issues that shaped U.S. history—such as military commissions and the status of seceding states—are detailed discussions of the Court's rulings on government-issued paper currency "greenbacks" and the newly ratified 14th Amendment.Salmon Portland Chase's role as the first chief justice to preside over the impeachment of a president is carefully examined. Profiles of the 13 Chase Court justices describe their rise to prominence, controversies surrounding their nominations, work on the court, judicial philosophies, important decisions, and overall impacts.A–Z entries include the significant rulings involving Reconstruction and restoration of the Union such as Ex parte Milligan (1866), the Test Oath Cases (1867), Ex parte McCardle (1868), and Texas v. White (1869)An analysis of the historical impact and continuing legacy of decisions such as the Court's narrow interpretation of the 14th Amendment in the famous Slaughterhouse Cases

An extensive exploration of the major decisions and personalities of the Supreme Court during the 14-year tenure of Chief Justice Morrison Remick Waite.The Waite Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy presents a fresh interpretation of the Supreme Court under the tenure of Chief Justice Morrison Remick Waite (1874–1888). An in-depth analysis of key decisions demonstrates how the Waite Court confronted such profound issues as the post-Civil War rights of African Americans and state regulations intended to cope with rampant industrialization.Highlighting the Court's most famous decision, Munn v. Illinois, which upheld legislation regulating railroad and grain elevator rates, this careful analysis also reviews the Court's unique involvement in the 1876 presidential election electoral predicament. Profiles of the 15 justices who served on the Waite Court include extensive descriptions of the five that rank among the most outstanding justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court.A–Z entries on key people, laws, cases, events, and concepts that were relevant during the Waite Court era, including the growing volume of state economic regulations enacted to cope with industrial expansion and urban growth fueled by the Civil War and by a nationwide rail network for people and goodsAn appendix including a timeline of important events for the years 1865 through 1890, plus excerpts from other important source materials, such as landmark decisions of the Waite Court

A fascinating exploration of the first two Supreme Courts and how they laid the groundwork for the modern-day Court.When the Supreme Court was established in 1789, no other country had a judicial body quite like it. The early justices struggled to give definition to such concepts as "judicial review" and "separation of powers." The early court approached its role in ways that would be startling today, often using its power to support the new government rather than merely serving as an independent arbiter.The Jay-Ellsworth Courts were the first to take up the role of interpreting the constitution, and their approach influenced constitutional debates for the next two centuries. Clearly, this is a book for any reader who wishes to understand how the court was initially set up and how it functioned in our early judicial history.Biographies of key justices such as Oliver Ellsworth, John Marshall, and John JayBackground reference section containing A–Z entries on the people, such as George Washington and John Adams; laws and constitutional provisions, including the First Judiciary Act and Article III; and concepts, such as "judicial review" and "separation of powers," that are important to an understanding of the Jay and Ellsworth Courts