Why the Supreme Court Is Now the Last Branch Standing

The Supreme Court has come to matter far more in US politics than it should, far more than its inventors ever intended. Today it stands at the center of controversy after controversy, dominated by conservatives ruling on intensely political questions and advancing a clear partisan agenda. When Democrats next control Washington, they’ll weigh the need to pack the court and switch its allegiance from conservative to progressive. Blame the court itself for this gathering constitutional storm.

Sarah Isgur’s new book, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court, aims to overthrow this popular narrative. It succeeds and does much more besides.