Book Presentation

The Great Decision is Sloan and McKean’s account of all the issues that culminated in saving the Supreme Court of the United States from perishing into insignificance and placing its power on the same level as the executive and legislative branches of government. Marbury v. Madison came to the Supreme Court at a time when the capital, like the country, was divided more than ever in the Republic’s short history and the government was so near a collapse that a second revolution seemed inevitable. It was up to Chief Justice John Marshall to keep the union from falling apart. After the first truly contested presidential election, the case of a citizen demanding a commission authorized by former President Adams put the Court at odds with the president, had members of Congress looking to impeach the Court, and ultimately established the power of the Supreme Court to be the last word on constitutionality; a stroke that laid the cornerstone of the distinctive American rule of law.

Cliff Sloan is a partner in the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &amp; Flom. He is a former Supreme Court clerk and former publisher of <c-Italique>Slate </c-Italique>magazine. He has argued before the Supreme Court five times and has written about the Supreme Court for many publications, including Newsweek, the Washington Post, and Slate.

David McKean is a top level Senate aide. He was chief of staff to Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2008. He is the author of two highly acclaimed political biographies, Friends in High Places and Tommy the Cork.

This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book.  This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.