Includes bibliographical references (pages 295-336) and index.
Contents:
Understanding judicial partisanship -- Courts, parties, and the Voting Rights Act -- Courts, parties, and voter identification -- Courts, parties, and redistricting -- Courts, parties, and campaign finance.
Summary:
"With the Supreme Court now firmly in the hands of the conservatives, the fog of judicial politics hangs over every decision. In this timely study, Terri Peretti examines Republican influence in judicial decisions, looking particularly at the increasing number of cases concerning elections and voting. Peretti focuses individual chapters around the Voting Rights Act (Shelby County v. Holder), voter identification litigation (Crawford v. Marion County Election Board), redistricting (gerrymandering), and cases pertaining to campaign finance, including Citizens United, McCutcheon, and Janus. The book's title references a famous conversation between President Grover Cleveland and a fellow Democrat, Congressman Timothy Campbell. In response to Cleveland's reluctance to support a bill because of its doubtful constitutionality, the congressman quipped 'What's the Constitution between friends?' This suggestion of inter-branch partisan collusion in constitutional decision making violates core normative beliefs about courts. We expect that judges can rise above the partisan fray and, particularly when the stakes for democracy are so high, will neutrally police the election process. Challenges to these expectations deserve close scrutiny and have prompted this book's chief aim: to test whether judges act as friendly partisans or as neutral arbiters when deciding election law cases"-- Provided by the publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.