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The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 2nd Edition, Kindle Edition

by Linda Greenhouse (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 221 ratings
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For 30 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse chronicled the activities of the U.S. Supreme Court and its justices as a correspondent for the New York Times. In this Very Short Introduction, she draws on her deep knowledge of the court's history and of its written and unwritten rules to show readers how the Supreme Court really works.

Greenhouse offers a fascinating institutional biography of a place and its people--men and women who exercise great power but whose names and faces are unrecognized by many Americans and whose work often appears cloaked in mystery. How do cases get to the Supreme Court? How do the justices go about deciding them? What special role does the chief justice play? What do the law clerks do? How does the court relate to the other branches of government? Greenhouse answers these questions by depicting the justices as they confront deep constitutional issues or wrestle with the meaning of confusing federal statutes. Throughout, the author examines many individual Supreme Court cases to illustrate points under discussion, ranging from Marbury v. Madison, the seminal case which established judicial review, to the recent District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which struck down the District of Columbia's gun-control statute and which was, surprisingly, the first time in its history that the Court issued an authoritative interpretation of the Second Amendment. To add perspective, Greenhouse also compares the Court to foreign courts, revealing interesting differences. For instance, no other country in the world has chosen to bestow life tenure on its judges.

The second edition of Greenhouse's Very Short Introduction tracks the changes in the Court's makeup over the last eight years, considers the landmark decisions of the Obama and Trump eras, and reexamines the precarious fates of such precedents as Roe v. Wade.

A superb overview packed with telling details, this volume offers a matchless introduction to one of the pillars of American government.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0190079819
  2. Edition
    2nd
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    May 29, 2020
  6. Part of series
    Very Short Introductions
  7. Language
    English
  8. File size
    2563 KB
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] new one-of-a-kind book on the Supreme Court." --SCOTUSblog "Linda Greenhouse has long been one of the most astute observers of the U.S. Supreme Court and most trusted translators of its mysteries and traditions. This elegant and concise guide is invaluable for beginners and veteran court watchers alike. An ideal introduction to the Court for students and citizens of all ages." --Jeffrey Rosen, professor of law, George Washington University, and legal affairs editor, The New Republic "There is hardly anyone in the country, outside the Court, who knows the institution and its practices as well as Linda Greenhouse does." --Melvin I. Urofsky, author of Louis D. Brandeis: A Life "Greenhouse cogently illustrates the history, functions, composition and importance of the Supreme Court. In a slim volume that you can literally carry around in your pocket, you will find a wealth of knowledge." --Yale Daily News "[A]n amuse-bouche of a book . . . short, but pithy. After finishing this book, readers should be inspired to take up [Greenhouse's] implicit invitation to read about the Court and its impact on shaping American law in a more substantial, meatier format." --Judicature "For those interested in how cases come to be heard by the Court, the process leading to a decision and the Court's relationship with the other branches of the federal government and the public, this is an excellent way to begin." --Washington Independent Review of Books

About the Author

Linda Greenhouse was the New York Times Supreme Court correspondent for 30 years, covering thousands of decisions written by 18 different justices. She was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism (Beat Reporting) in 1998. She in now Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School and writes a biweekly opinion column on the Supreme Court and the law for the New York Times web site. Her books include Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey and Before Roe v. Wade: Voices That Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court's Ruling (with Reva B. Siegel).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08761Z5K2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (May 29, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 29, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2563 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 159 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0190079819
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 221 ratings

About the author

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Linda Greenhouse

Linda Greenhouse

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Linda Greenhouse was the New York Times Supreme Court correspondent for nearly 30 years, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for her coverage of the Court. She now teaches at Yale Law School and writes a bi-weekly op-ed column on law for the New York Times as a contributing opinion writer.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
221 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ahmed Elmi
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2024
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Linda is an exceptional journalist with a profound understanding of the Court. The fusion of her scholarly insights and journalistic prowess provides a distinctive perspective on the Court. I recommend reading her articles on the NYT.
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Daniel V. Diloretto
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Summary of the SCOTUS.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2019
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One of the best short introductions on the Supreme Court. Well organized, clear language, selection of caselaw were perfect to illustrate talking points. Only drawback is the book was published in 2012 so it a little dated.
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Keith Wheelock
5.0 out of 5 stars Brief, Elegant, Lucid, and Opinionated Gem
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2013
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I unreservedly recommend Greenhouse's book for distinguished jurists and lawyers, as well as for laymen interested in the Constitution and the functioning of the Supreme Court. There are marvelous nuggets of personal insight and of judicial history and analysis that would enlighten us all.

Linda Greenhouse is one of my favorite Supreme Court chroniclers of our era. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and other distinguished awards for her NEW YORK TIMES coverage of the Supreme Court (1978 to 2007, with a two-year break in the mid-80s),Greenhouse is uncommonly well versed in the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the judicial personalities of recent Court justices. She also displays flashes of personal opinion, especially on abortion, same-sex marriage, and a flexible application of a constitution written nearly 250 years ago

Taking early retirement from the TIMES in 2008,Greenhouse teaches at Yale Law School and writes frequent, opinionated TIMES commentary columns. The most recent, 7/10/13, was on the debilitating long-term affect of carefully crafted, compromise Court majority opinions.

THE SUPREME COURT is part of the Oxford Very Short Introduction series that, since, 1995, has covered over 300 topics. In only 98 pages Greenhouse provides a thumb-nail sketch of the Supreme Court's history and several turning-point cases. Far more important, she describes, with exquisite examples: how the Court functions, critical issues of law, the long-term impact of public opinion, and how personal the process can become. This is the inside story from a highly-respected insider. (Seven of nine sitting Supreme Court justices attended her farewell party.)

As a layman, I have included the Constitution and various Supreme Court decisions in my college American history courses for over two decades, have read many books on diverse aspects of the Supreme Court, and, on occasion, have made public presentations on the Constitution. Greenhouse's book makes me feel like a constitutional and Supreme Court neophyte. Greenhouse has drawn on her forty plus years of experience to capture the essence of the Supreme Court through pithy examples and well-grounded personal opinions.

Perhaps most surprising, in such a slim book, is the space devoted to her criticism of life-time appointments for Supreme Court justices. She highlights that this is not the practice globally in any long-established judicial system. However, she does not suggest that a constitutional amendment changing this is even a remote possibility.

.
10 people found this helpful
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KG
5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2013
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I wanted a small and succinct reference book and there may be a better one, but I can't imagine there is. Something I was looking for was a list of all the justices and when they served. This book has that list and it's current; including Justices Roberts and Alito. When one is reading about a certain court decision one can look at that list and see who the other justices were and what president nominated them.
Just what I was looking for.
7 people found this helpful
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donna w
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes the topic easy to understand and interesting
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2021
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This is a great little book of information. Interesting, e
asy to read and understand. I would say it's good for kids and adults alike to learn about the Supreme Court.
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Reader 47
4.0 out of 5 stars Greenhouse's Supreme Court Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2012
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NY Times Supreme Court reporter/ author Linda Greenhouse shows her knowledge of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in this short book. I, apparently, read the book's first printing in which Greenhouse incorrectly described the Lynch v. Donnelly decision as a school prayer case. The actual Lynch opinion permitted placing a creche in a RI public park along with other holiday symbols. Lee v. Weisman was the junior high graduation prayer case. When I e-mailed her about this, she immediately and graciously responded to me that this mix-up had been corrected after the first printing. Kudos to her! Again, this book is worth reading for the Court's history, interaction with Congresses and Presidents, and the cases discussed.
6 people found this helpful
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kathleen martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2013
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This little book is a very informative resource about the Constitution and the Supreme Court. Greenhouse gives a brief history of our nation's highest court and its role of exercising "judicial review" of laws passed by Congress, judging cases concerning any violations of Constitutional law by federal or state agencies and preserving the civil rights of individuals.The greatest responsibility of our justices is to interpret the Constitution maintaining our heritage of liberty and civil rights, guaranteeing our freedoms that make our nation the greatest country on earth. Every responsible citizen should know what is in our Constitution and the twenty seven Amendments.
2 people found this helpful
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Chip Crimjunkie
5.0 out of 5 stars Well done - title fits what book accomplishes
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
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I got this book because I was teaching a Supreme Court course to a class of high school juniors and seniors. I already selected John MacGregror Burns's Packing the Court as my main text. But this could have served as the textbook if I had chosen a different direction. The book accomplishes what its title promises. Accessible and clear. A good intro for anyone wanting to learn how the Court works.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lena
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent overview
Reviewed in Germany on January 23, 2023
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I used this book to prepare for my political science exam in American studies. It was very informative and written in a concise and captivating manner. Strongly recommend.
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Ricardo Abuchaim
5.0 out of 5 stars introdutório e abrangente
Reviewed in Brazil on January 10, 2021
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trata-se de uma excelente introdução à suprema corte dos EEUU, trazendo como tópicos a história do tribunal, seus componentes e presidentes mais destacados e a metodologia de trabalho do colegiado. as referências são muito boas.
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Stephen
5.0 out of 5 stars leaves you wanting more
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2012
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This is a model for what the VSIs should be: clear, concise, analytical and leaving you wanting more. There are only 87 small-format pages of main text, but the author packs in a lot of information and a lucid explanation of some of the main issues raised by the Court's constitutional standing, and its practices and more controversial decisions. She is clearly an expert on the Court and its workings, but never patronises the reader. Excellent.
One person found this helpful
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by 日曜読書家
4.0 out of 5 stars アメリカの最高裁判所をめぐる歴史についての良質な入門書
Reviewed in Japan on May 6, 2013
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法理や法学そのものを説明したものではなく、あくまで最高裁判所が設立された時代から現代までの最高裁判所をめぐる政治的な歴史を描いた書籍。コンパクトでありながら、分かりやすくまとまっている。またこの本を読むにあたって、特段アメリカの最高裁判所判例についての知識は不要である。
日本の最高裁判所について「最高裁判所物語」という本が出ているが、この本と似た本である。

読みやすいし、（関心がある向きには）楽しいので、お勧めする。
☆を一つ減らしたのは、やはり量が少なすぎるから。
もしこの分野に関心があれば、「NINE」や「OATH」といった書籍を買って読むのを進める。
3 people found this helpful
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Cliente
4.0 out of 5 stars Livro de história
Reviewed in Brazil on August 18, 2018
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O livro é de excelente qualidade, porém, não é um estudo jurídico sobre o desenvolvimento da U.S. Supreme Court. Recomendo o livro para conhecimentos históricos somente.
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