The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book: The History and Issues Explained, Edition 2

David L. Hudson

May 2023 · Visible Ink Press

About this ebook

The U.S. Supreme Court, its decisions, and its nominating process for new justices are often in the news … but are just as often not well understood. Constitutional law professor David L. Hudson, Jr., explains the cases, processes, and important history with this in-depth primer on the U.S. Supreme Court.

How has the Supreme Court justices’ thinking on gun rights, abortion, free speech, freedom of religion, and many other controversial issues evolved? What were some of the court’s most important and monumental decisions … and failures? Which justices have—and have had—the most influence on the court? Has the nominating process always been so political and bitter?

Covering the history, nominating process, and court decisions on individual and other rights as well as a few fun facts, The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book: The History and Issues Explained by David L. Hudson, Jr., J.D. provides you with 600 answers to questions such as …

How was the U.S. Supreme Court created?

Under the Constitution, who appoints Supreme Court justices?

Have any Supreme Court justices been impeached?

Which president introduced an infamous court-packing plan in 1937?

Which Supreme Court justice in the 20th century did not have a law degree?

What are some suggestions for reforming the confirmation process?

What did the Rehnquist Court decide in the 2000 presidential election?

Why did Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissent in the Lily Ledbetter case?

Which justice wrote that he couldn’t define obscenity, but “I know it when I see it”?

When did the Supreme Court establish the so-called “Miranda Rights”?

How did the Supreme Court emphasize privacy protection for cell phone searches?

How has the Supreme Court dealt with the death penalty for juveniles?

In what infamous decision did the Supreme Court regard African Americans as slaves and property?

When did the Supreme Court invalidate a ban on interracial marriages?

Why was the decision in Roe v. Wade not the leading story in many newspapers on the date of its decision?

Why, according to Justice Samuel Alito, was Roe such a bad decision?

Why is interpreting the Second Amendment perhaps more of a challenge than other amendments in the Bill of Rights?

Who was the only Supreme Court Justice to have signed the Declaration of Independence?

Which Justice wrote a book about the United States as a Christian nation?

Which Justice wrote a book on civil disobedience and protest?

What Supreme Court justice was formerly a member of the Ku Klux Klan?

What is the nickname of the Supreme Court Building?

Which justice was nicknamed “The Lone Ranger”?

Analyzing controversial issues and various points of view, The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book sheds a light on the differing and changing interpretations of the critical issues before the court, as well as the confirmation process and some of the court’s most important justices. Richly illustrated, it also has a helpful bibliography, glossary, and extensive index. Thoroughly updated since it was last published fifteen years ago, this invaluable resource will help you understand the rulings and importance of the U.S. Supreme Court!

About the author

David L. Hudson, Jr., J.D. is an Assistant Professor of Law, teaching First Amendment Law and Bar Exam Workshop at Belmont University’s College of Law. For 17 years, he was an attorney and scholar at the First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Hudson also has taught classes at Vanderbilt Law School and the Nashville School of Law, and he served as a senior law clerk for the Tennessee Supreme Court. In June 2018, the Nashville School of Law awarded him its Distinguished Faculty Award. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. He is an author, co-author, or co-editor of more than 40 books, including Visible Ink Press’s The Constitution Explained: A Guide for Every American, The Handy Law Answer Book, and The Handy American History Answer Book, as well as Let The Students Speak: A History of the Fight for Free Expression in American Schools and The Encyclopedia of the First Amendment (co-editor). He writes regularly for the American Bar Association’s Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases and ABA Journal, the First Amendment Watch, and the Free Speech Center. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.