The Supreme Court: A Concise History

This essential historical overview begins by noting that the Supreme Court is arguably the least known and understood of the three branches of government. Robert W. Langran’s innovative approach will do much to provide students with a good understanding of the changing role and accomplishments of the Court from its inception to its latest decisions. This book discusses the most important decisions of the Court in chronological rather than topical order, illustrating how the cases fit into an historical timeframe as well as what roles the most influential justices played. In an easy, conversational style, Robert W. Langran discusses how the Court was formed, how justices are selected, how the Court selects its cases, and the broad shifts of the Court with regard to doctrine and attention to the popular and governmental interests of each period. Students gain important insights into why each Court voted the way it did and how those decisions influenced the votes of future Courts. The Supreme Court, an excellent supplementary text for undergraduate classes in American government and American history, as well as introductory classes in political science, contains useful appendixes listing all justices and all cases discussed.