Ten Little-Known Facts about the Supreme Court

In this intriguing book, Lawrence Wrightsman--eminent scholar and engaging raconteur-- shines a penetrating light on key aspects of the U.S. Supreme Court. He addresses such questions as:

• What really determines who gets selected as members of the Supreme Court? Do carefully selected Presidential picks perform better than hastily chosen nominees?
• Is the Congressional confirmation process inevitably contentious?
• Can decisions of the Supreme Court be predicted? If so, on what basis?
• Do the Justices operate out of personal values and beliefs or do they base their decisions on the Constitution and the law as written? Is there any difference between liberal and conservative Justices in this matter?
• How much influence does the Chief Justice have? Is the Chief Justice merely one among equals or does the Chief Justice have special influence?
• Do the Court's decisions follow public opinion or create it?
• To what extent are the Court's decisions being carried out versus being undermined?

Wrightsman's ability to incisively analyze serious issues, giving glimpses of the backstory and personal aspects of the players' lives, make this volume not only informative, but also a joy to read.

The volume and its author have received praise from both journalists and academics:

"Larry Wrightsman has done it again, blending together law, psychology and empirical evidence to explain how and why the nation's highest court behaves the way it does. He explores how predictable and how political the Supreme Court is, as well as examining the nomination and confirmation process, in a way that is accessible for all readers."
Tony Mauro, Supreme Court correspondent for The National Law Journal.

"In Ten Little-Known Facts about the Supreme Court, Lawrence Wrightsman undertakes inquiries into several aspects of the Supreme Court as a means to illuminate important realities about the Court and its place in the political system. Drawing from a wide range of evidence, including his own research, he offers creative and insightful analyses of the topics that he takes up. The book makes good use of psychological theory and research to provide a deeper understanding of the justices as decision makers."
Lawrence Baum, Professor Emeritus of Political Science. Ohio State University

"Lawrence S. Wrightsman is a teacher, friend, mentor, and intellectual leader for many psychologists. Over the course of five decades, his strong personal presence and his prolific writings have helped mightily to build and inspire the new interdisciplinary study of psychology and the law. In this field, Larry is the Giant of our generation.
Saul Kassin, Professor, Williams College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice