Partisan Court, The: The Era of Political Partisanship on the U.S. Supreme Court

by Ryan J Rebe

The Era of Political Partisanship on the U.S. Supreme Court challenges conventional notions of consensus-building and neutral decision-making on the U.S. Supreme Court and argues that the justices vote their partisan preferences on election law cases. By focusing specifically on election law, Rebe reveals a consistent pattern of partisanship on the Court. The findings controvert popular perceptions of non-biased decision-making and fundamental fairness. The aggregate analysis shows that the justices vote along party-lines in a majority of election law cases, and consensus-building is rare when there is a contentious electoral issue at stake. Moreover, these decisions often conflict with principles of stare decisis, originalism, or judicial restraint. The topics covered gerrymandering, campaign finance, voter ID laws, and mail-in voting, among others. Rebe also conducts a content analysis of the most controversial election law cases of the past twenty years, such Vieth v. Jubelirer, Crawford v. Marion County, Citizens United v. FEC, and Shelby County v. Holder. This book provides a thorough overview of two decades of election law cases and sheds light on the impact these decisions have had on remaking America’s electoral institutions.

174 pages, Hardcover

Published November 27, 2025

Reviews

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan Rebe does an excellent job of bringing forward several issues in Supreme Court cases involved with election proceedings in the 21st century. His analyses are in depth and easy to follow for any student following a pre-law/ legal studies program or looking to get into a field covering election problems.