The Supreme Court and the Powers of the American Government

Examines the relationship between the Court and federal and state government.

This updated edition analyzes the Court’s role in defining the powers and limits of government, focusing on the constitutional basis for each branch’s powers, the evolution of the Court’s interactions with federal and state government, key issues, and major cases through the 2007–2008 term. The book’s chapters detail the Court’s work in four areas: the powers of the:

• Judiciary
• Congress
• President
• Federal government over the states

The Supreme Court and Powers of American Government, Second Edition, begins with a description of federal jurisdiction, federal judicial powers and judicial restraint. An in-depth discussion of the Court’s interactions with Congress, the president, and the states follows. The book concludes by looking at the pressures that Congress and the president can bring to bear on the Court. Among the topics discussed in this volume are:

• Presidential privilege and immunity
• The war on terror
• The commerce power
• Supreme Court appointments and confirmations

Appendixes include a glossary of legal terms, an explanation of how to read a legal citation, and a select bibliography. This reference will be of interest to all researchers, and in particular, students and teachers of history and political science classes that address the Court’s role in defining the powers of American government.