The Least Dangerous Branch
The Supreme Court at the Bar of Politics
Alexander M. Bickel
Published: 1986-01-01
Pages: 303
"The concept of "The Least Dangerous Branch: the Supreme Court at the Bar of Politics" is something of a departure from all recent literature on the Supreme Court. The book attempts to state and substantiate a conception of the Supreme Court of the United States that is consistent with the theory and practice of political democracy. The author focuses on the Court's complex relationship with the nation's political institutions, in the context not only of what are conventionally regarded as great Constitutional cases, but also of jurisdictional and other adjudications that are usually ignored. Detailed treatment is given to cases concerned with film censorship, anti-birth-control legislation, Congressional investigations, loyalty and security dismissals, legislative apportionment, and segregation."