Understanding the U.S. Supreme Court

Rating:
Summary: Supreme Court understanding for the masses
Review: Even a putz like me can understand Dr. McGuire's insightful romp into the world of the Supreme Court. I believe that this would be a great addition to any classroom study of law and the court system.

Clarity is a highpoint of Dr. McGuire's work.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to the Court
Review: This is a terrific book that explains the "ins and outs" of the Supreme Court. McGuire takes you inside the action through a series of in-depth case studies. He looks at the nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas, and cases the Court decided that deal with federal control of the drinking age, racial discrimination in the death penalty, free speech for organized crime figures, and campaign finance law. But, he chooses these cases wisely, because each of them is used to illustrate the findings of political science research. The stories McGuire tells are great to read, but you end up learning a lot about the things that determine how the Court makes its decisions, from the law and Court precedent to interest groups and the justices' own personal preferences. He's really very fair in his evaluation of these issues, too. McGuire packs a lot of information into this little book, so if you're looking for a great way to learn about the politics of the Supreme Court, this is it!