Description
Book SynopsisThe Warren Court of the 1950s and 1960s was the most liberal in American history. Yet within a few short years, new appointments redirected the Court in a more conservative direction, a trend that continued for decades. However, even after Warren retired and the makeup of the court changed, his Court cast a shadow that extends to our own era. In The Long Reach of the Sixties, Laura Kalman focuses on the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Presidents Johnson and Nixon attempted to dominate the Court and alter its course. Using newly released--and consistently entertaining--recordings of Lyndon Johnson''s and Richard Nixon''s telephone conversations, she roots their efforts to mold the Court in their desire to protect their Presidencies. The fierce ideological battles--between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches--that ensued transformed the meaning of the Warren Court in American memory. Despite the fact that the Court''s decisions generally reflected public opinion, the surro
Trade ReviewKalman deftly argues that confirmation hearings with little substance, nominees selected exclusively from Harvard and Yale, and the heavy emphasis on past judicial experience are a direct consequence of the lessons presidents have learned from this critical period. * C. Shortell, CHOICE *
Table of ContentsPreface I: A New President Seeks Power: 1963-65 II: Musical Chairs, 1965-66 III: Bogeyman, 1966-1968 IV: "A Man's Reach Should [Not] Exceed His Grasp:" Summer and Fall, 1968 V: The Last Days of the Warren Court, 1969-70 VI: "Southern Discomfort," 1969-70 VII: The Lost Ball Game, Or How Not to Choose Two Justices, 1971 Epilogue
