Audiobook23 hours
Supreme Power: Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court
Written by Jeff Shesol
Narrated by Mel Foster
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Beginning in 1935, in a series of devastating decisions, the Supreme Court's conservative majority left much of Franklin Roosevelt's agenda in ruins. The pillars of the New Deal fell in short succession. It was not just the New Deal but democracy itself that stood on trial. In February 1937, Roosevelt struck back with an audacious plan to expand the Court to fifteen justices-and to "pack" the new seats with liberals who shared his belief in a "living" Constitution.
The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation. The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America's political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation's march into the modern world.
This brilliant work of history unfolds like a thriller, with vivid characters and unexpected twists. Providing new evidence and fresh insight, Jeff Shesol shows why understanding the Court fight is essential to understanding the presidency, personality, and legacy of FDR-and to understanding America at a crossroads in its history.
The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation. The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America's political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation's march into the modern world.
This brilliant work of history unfolds like a thriller, with vivid characters and unexpected twists. Providing new evidence and fresh insight, Jeff Shesol shows why understanding the Court fight is essential to understanding the presidency, personality, and legacy of FDR-and to understanding America at a crossroads in its history.
Reviews for Supreme Power
Rating: 4.071428571428571 out of 5 stars
4/5
28 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very readable account of FDR assault on the Supreme Court, albeit from the Progressive perspective. The author is a former member of the Clinton administration and is certainly sympathetic to FDR.Mr. Sesol managed to keep conservative slights to a minimum, though I took offense to his remarks implying the racist 'Southern Conservative Democrats' became Republicans after Civil Rights act of 1964 because the Republican party was closer to their racist views. When in fact the Civil Rights act could not have passed without strong Republican support, a fact Mr. Shesol, like many Progressives, ignores.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5it’s an interesting subject and the first part of the book, describing the court cases is much more interesting than the second part describing the fight over court-packing. What I found wanting is a better explanation of the Hughes and Roberts rulings that in essence killed the court-packing scheme. Also, too many snarky references to the backwardness and ignorance of Republicans.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Numerous books have been written about Franklin Roosevelt's effort to "pack" the Supreme Court in 1937. Jeff Shesol's is not only the latest but it ranks as the best. He does an excellent job of tracing the origins of the plan to the legal and constitutional battles over New Deal legislation in the mid-1930s, battles which threatened the very core of Roosevelt's agenda. He describes the cases in clear and accessible prose, bringing both the personalities of the major figures and their ideologies to life and making their struggle in the courts and Congress every bit as dramatic as it was when it unfolded. This is a must-read for anyone interested in well-written history, and an indispensable guide for anyone seeking to learn about the packing plan and its importance in U.S. history.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I feel like I knew the broad theme of this book before, but I didn't realize all the details. It was a very prescient book given the issues with the Supreme Court today. It gave me ma lot to think about.