Superintending Democracy: The Courts and the Political Process

This timely book is a diverse collection of essays by nationally recognized scholars, politicians, and lawyers that challenges the popular myth that the U.S. Supreme Court is an apolitical institution. It analyzes the manner in which the U.S. Supreme Court superintends the electoral process through its judicial decision-making. As a provocative study of the intersection between law and politics, it considers whether the nation's highest court, as an inherently undemocratic and counter-majoritarian political institution, should enter the so-called political thicket and decide legal disputes concerning political corruption, campaign finance, political parties, patronage, and redistricting. Because there are few books on the U.S. Supreme Court and its impact on American electoral politics, Superintending Democracy is a welcome addition to social science and legal scholarship. It is a book for political scientists, legal scholars, and students who are interested in learning about American politics, constitutional law, or the political nexus between law and courts.