Supreme power
Subtitle: Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court
By: Jeff Shesol
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: W.W. Norton
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York, N.Y
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 644
ISBN-13: 9780393064742
Other titles: Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court; Franklin Roosevelt versus the Supreme Court
Description: Beginning in 1935, in a series of devastating decisions, the Supreme Court's conservative majority left much of FDR's agenda in ruins. The pillars of the New Deal fell in short succession. It was not just the New Deal, but democracy itself, that stood on trial. In February 1937, Roosevelt struck back with an audacious plan to expand the Court to fifteen justices -- and to "pack" the new seats with liberals who shared his belief in a "living" Constitution.

The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation. The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America's political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation's march into the modern world.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 603-615) and index.
Table of contents: title: Complete control; title: Storm center; title: Shortcuts; title: The dying of the light; title: Heavy bombardment; title: The golden ruling; title: The last thin line; title: Black Monday; title: Opening gun; title: Vigilantes; title: Slow poison; title: A project of great importance; title: No-man's-land; title: Plans and purposes; title: Warning bell; title: Preserve, protect, defend; title: The beginning of the end of everything; title: The first wedge; title: Punch drunk; title: The real mischief; title: This new roar; title: The yielding; title: Blood or ink; title: The switch in time; title: Consent; title: Striking a blow for liberty; title: To fight against God; title: We have only just begun to fight.