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Written by fifty-five of the richest white men, and signed by only thirty-nine of them, the US constitution is the sacred text of American nationalism. Popular perceptions of it are mired in idolatry, myth, and misinformation—many Americans have opinions on the constitution but have little idea what it says. This book examines the constitution for what it is—a rule book for elites to protect capitalism from democracy.

Will abortion be legal? Should people of the same sex be allowed to marry? May colleges prefer black applicants over white ones? These are among the most bitterly contested issues in the United States today. We answer these questions, and many more, by presenting them to nine lawyers—the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. No other nation commits so many important questions to its highest court. Stuart Banner’s The Most Powerful Court in the World is an authoritative history of the United States Supreme Court from the Founding era to the present.

The Supreme Court and our Constitution are much in the news today, and with good reason. Progressives are deeply disturbed as a new conservative majority on the Supreme Court moves to reverse long-standing progressive precedents like Roe v. Wade, while conservatives remain keenly aware that their recent gains could easily be wiped away by a shift in political fortunes. This all raises a deeper issue - why is the Supreme Court deciding so many momentous issues? Regardless of your political persuasion, how you would vote on the following proposition: