Alicia's Reviews > Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court

Well-researched look at the Kavanagh confirmation, by 2 talented authors. Fascinating book-- I appreciated learning a little history of the Supreme Court and little-known facts about Kavanagh and his accusers.

“The media tend to confuse the legitimacy of the Court with respect for the Court, but there is a difference between the two. Acting according to law is the essence of legitimacy in a legal sense, while ‘respect’ is a sign only of social legitimacy in the eyes of the public… But legitimacy is not the same thing as popularity. The framers knew that good judges would not always- or even often- be popular. That’s why they gave them life tenure. They knew that the Court’s true legitimacy derives from its freedom to make decisions in accordance with law, not in its reaching decisions that will win favor.” -pp. 303, 304

About Lisa Blatt, a leftist who stood up for Kavanagh: “Her bluntness is refreshing in a world of snowflakes, forced apologies, and social ostracism. She called their bluff, and by walking away from their demands for conformity, she robbed them of their power. Imagine a world where fewer people were scared to stand up for what they believed. It could start a virtuous circle, in which every person who bucked the popular views would drive down the cost of standing up.” - p. 294