Ebook: Political Foundations of Judicial Supremacy: the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and Constitutional Leadership in U.S. History

Should the Supreme Court have the last word when it comes to interpreting the Constitution? The justices on the Supreme Court certainly seem to think so--and their critics say that this position threatens democracy. But Keith Whittington argues that the Court's justices have not simply seized power and circumvented politics. The justices have had power thrust upon them--by politicians, for the benefit of politicians. In this sweeping political history of judicial supremacy in America, Whittington shows that presidents and political leaders of all stripes have worked to put the Court on a pedes.;Contents; Preface; 1 The Politics of Constitutional Meaning; 2 The Construction of Constitutional Regimes; 3 The Reconstruction of Judicial Authority; 4 The Judiciary in the Politics of Opposition; 5 The Growth of Judicial Authority; 6 The Dynamics of Constitutional Authority; Index.