While the Court is always evolving, the changes have been especially sweeping these past few years. Looking closely at the appointments of two new justices and the possible effects of the shift from the Rehnquist Court to the Roberts Court, Baum examines the implications of recent major decisions. Baum explores the Court's rulings on the procedural rights of suspected terrorists as well as the growth in conflict between Congress and the federal courts. The ninth edition makes use of new scholarship on the Court, from research on the role of precedent to important biographies of Justice Blackmun and Justice O'Connor. This authoritative introduction to the nation's highest judicial body describes the Court's personalities and procedures, delving deeply to explain the actions of the Court and the behavior of justices. Through Baum's straightforward yet lively prose, students begin to understand the Court's complexity and reach.

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