The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom
- ISBN-10
- 1935308327
- ISBN-13
- 9781935308324
- Series
- The Dirty Dozen
- Category
- Law
- Pages
- 302
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2009-08-01
- Publisher
- Cato Institute
- Authors
- Robert A. Levy, William Mellor
Description
Alexander Hamilton wrote that “the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution.” If only that were true. The Founding Fathers wanted the judicial branch to serve as a check on the power of the legislative and executive, and gave the Supreme Court the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution in a way that would safeguard individual freedoms. In some cases, like Brown V. Board of Education and United States V. Lopez, the Court fulfilled its role, protecting us from racial discrimination and the heavy hand of the federal government. But sadly, the Supreme Court has also handed down many destructive decisions on cases you probably never learned about in school. In The Dirty Dozen, two distinguished legal scholars shed light on the twelve worst cases, which allowed government to interfere in your private contractual agreements; curtail your rights to criticize or support political candidates; arrest and imprison you indefinitely, without filing charges; and seize your private property, without compensation, when someone uses the property for criminal activity—even if you don’t know about it! This is not a book just for lawyers. It’s for all Americans who want to understand how the Supreme Court can affect our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This paperback edition includes a new preface, “Guns, Bailouts, and Empathetic Judges,” which highlights new and critical issues that have arisen since the book’s initial edition was published in 2008.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
The Dirty Dozen
By E. M. NathansonTwelve bearded, filthy GIs wait behind barbed wire, prisoners of their own army.
-
The Dirty Dozen
By E. M. NathansonThe Dirty Dozen
-
Killin' Generals: The Making of The Dirty Dozen, the Most Iconic WW II Movie of All Time
By Dwayne EpsteinAn explosive inside look at The Dirty Dozen, the star-studded war film that broke the rules, shocked the critics, thrilled audiences, and became an all-time, cult-movie classic .
-
The Story of the Dirty Dozen: The Chronicle of a Cannoneer from Smithtown, Long Island in World War Ii
By Henry S. WilliamsThis is a new release of the original 1946 edition.
-
Dirty Dozen
By Liliana HartIn the twelfth installment of the J.J. Graves mystery series from New York Times Bestselling Author Liliana Hart, winter has moved into Bloody Mary with a vengeance.
-
The Dirty Dozen
By Weston RaskeThe Dirty Dozen
-
Daisy and the Dirty Dozen
By Jessica WallaceDaisy and the Dirty Dozen is the true, heartwarming, and fun story of a female mallard duck and her 12 ducklings that take up residence in a suburban family's swimming pool.The Wallace family take the 13 ducks "under their wing" and are ...
-
The Dirty Dozen: The Best 12 Commando Comic Books Ever!
By George LowFor everyone whose comic-book battle lust has ever been stirred by Nazi cries of 'Die! Englischer schweinhund', The Dirty Dozen will transport them right back into fictional combat situations they'd forgotten were so much fun. Aaarrghh!
-
Crap - the Dirty Dozen of the Republican Party
By Ron PeeplesThis book is a political satire about the Republican Party.
-
Lou's Dirty Dozen
By Ranny GradyBased on the life of the author's mother and grandmother, follows widow Lou Crandall through joy and sorrow as she struggles to raise her twelve children during the years of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl Era.