Name: Caitlin Snyder's review of The Most Dangerous Branch by David A. Kaplan
Item: The Most Dangerous Branch
Rating: 3
Author: Caitlin Snyder

David A. Kaplan

Taking us inside the secret world of the Supreme Court, [this book] is an incisive look at how the justices undermine the rule of the other branches of government--and how we've come to accept it at our peril. Never before has the Supreme Court been more central in American life. It is the nine justices who too often now decide the controversial issues of our time--from abortion and same-sex marriage to gun control, campaign finance, and voting rights. The Court is so crucial that many voters in 2016 made their choice for president based on whom they thought their candidate would name to the Court. Donald Trump picked Neil Gorsuch--the key decision of his new administration. The next justice--replacing Anthony Kennedy--will be even more important, holding the swing vote over so much social policy. Is that really how democracy is supposed to work? Based on exclusive interviews with the justices and dozens of their law clerks, prize-winning legal journalist David A. Kaplan provides fresh details about life behind the scenes at the Court--Clarence Thomas's simmering rage, Antonin Scalia's death, Ruth Bader Ginsburg"s celebrity, Breyer Bingo, the petty feuding between Gorsuch and the chief justice, and what John Roberts thinks about his critics. In the bestselling tradition of The Nine and The Brethren, Kaplan presents a sweeping narrative of the justices' aggrandizement of power over the decades--from Roe v. Wade to Bush v. Gore to Citizens United to the rulings of the 2017-18 term. But the arrogance of the Court isn't partisan: Conservative and liberal justices alike are guilty of overreach. Challenging conventional wisdom about the Court's transcendent power, [this book] is sure to rile both sides of the political aisle."--Dust jacket.

Inside the Supreme Court in the Age of Trump

The Most Dangerous Branch

Aaron Eske

Caitlin Snyder

2.5 - didn't trust Kaplan as an author. Instead of letting the facts speak for themselves he added in alot of rhetoric that made me doubt he was including all the facts. The second half of the book was much better and gave a great overview of historic opinions.

Aaron Eske &
The Most Dangerous Branch by David A. Kaplan

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Aaron Eske &The Most Dangerous Branch by David A. Kaplan

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Aaron Eske &
The Most Dangerous Branch by David A. Kaplan