Supreme Inequality

The Supreme Court's Fifty-Year Battle for a More Unjust America

By: Adam Cohen

Narrated by: Dan Woren

“With Supreme Inequality, Adam Cohen has built, brick by brick, an airtight case against the Supreme Court of the last half-century...Cohen’s book is a closing statement in the case against an institution tasked with protecting the vulnerable, which has emboldened the rich and powerful instead.”—Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor, Slate

A revelatory examination of the conservative direction of the Supreme Court over the last fifty years.

In Supreme Inequality, bestselling author Adam Cohen surveys the most significant Supreme Court rulings since the Nixon era and exposes how, contrary to what Americans like to believe, the Supreme Court does little to protect the rights of the poor and disadvantaged; in fact, it has not been on their side for fifty years. Cohen proves beyond doubt that the modern Court has been one of the leading forces behind the nation’s soaring level of economic inequality, and that an institution revered as a source of fairness has been systematically making America less fair.

A triumph of American legal, political, and social history, Supreme Inequality holds to account the highest court in the land and shows how much damage it has done to America’s ideals of equality, democracy, and justice for all.

©2020 Adam Cohen (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Cohen’s sweeping review is impressive and necessary. . . . Supreme Inequality makes an important contribution to our understanding of both the Supreme Court and the law of poverty.”—New York Times Book Review

“Meticulously researched and engagingly written, Supreme Inequality is a howl of progressive rage against the past half-century of American jurisprudence. Cohen . . . builds a comprehensive indictment of the court’s rulings in areas ranging from campaign finance and voting rights to poverty law and criminal justice.”—Financial Times

“Cohen’s ambitious, well-written book makes a convincing case that the court has contributed to growing inequality through its rulings on everything from election law and education to corporate law and crime.”—Christian Science Monitor

Should be a Must Read

No matter how much you think you know about the Supreme Court's rulings there will be much to be gleaned from this book. The historical perspective is revealing. The book provides an accessible overview of decisions made over many decades. The narrator, Dan Woren, is exceptional, and subtle in his rendering of voices other than the narrator's. His is a voice one can listen to over many hours...not always the case with audiobooks.

supreme inequality

excellent well written and documented book. chilling look behind the curtain of the supreme court and it's course to undermine America as we believe it to be

Essential Reading for the Last 100 Years of SCOTUS

Highlights various double standards and inconsistencies in legal reasoning SCOTUS has used to between the wealthy and powerful and poor and disinherited.

The Warren Court of 1954 - 1969 was an era of improving toward equality and equitable democracy. Since then, however, the conservative control and ideologies on the Court have sought not just to undue the Warren Era progress, but even the New Deal improvements in worker's rights and corporate accountability.

Well researched and thorough in the evidence it presents to defend the book's thesis.

An important book, especially now

The book got off to a slow start but is well worth sticking with. The author explains the background behind many of the important Supreme Court decisions that affect life today. He provides illuminating information about the life experiences of the Justices, about the politics behind their appointments, about how the thinking of certain Justices evolved during their tenure. The book supplies a useful backdrop to the current Supreme Court and to the critical decisions they will make.

A must read to understand the current state of American iniquity, and what rules our decent into authoritarianism.

In wake of the January 6th attack on Congress, as well as growing global concerns that the American democracy experiment is failing, Supreme Inequality by Adam Cohen Can best be described as the receipts of The wealth inequality that got us here. It does not require a law degree to digest, nor is it stained With a polarization of many American discourses that prevent a point from coming across. It is quite simply decisions/motivations of our supreme court justices an the tangible impact that they have had.

Very informative

This book opened my eyes to the rigged court system in the USA This book should be used in high schools thank you Mr. Cohen for educating me This book is a must read for all !!!!

“Supremely Thought Provoking”

Fascinating, penetrating review of US Supreme Court decision making over the last 50 years and a profound indictment of the court is subservient to the top 1%. This broad review of The right wing court’s throttling of democratic rights, racial equality advancement , sexual discrimination opposition and community imposed corporate responsibility efforts throws water into the face of anyone naive enough to think the court works to the broad benefit of the nation or its citizens. The right has been using the court to make law and policy while the media and the left fiddle about unable to process their threat to our freedom or self governance other than when it comes to abortion rights. Perhaps this book will help us pay better attention.

How our Democracy has changed

Every American should read this book , unless you are in the ‘top 10%’ .
Chapters 7 , 8 & the Conclusion are sobering,

Good but lacking nuance

Good but lacking nuance due to oversimplification and rejection of opposing views before considering them.

A real eye opener!

This book should be a required and essential listen for every American across racial and socio-economic lines.