Author: Thom Hartmann

Publisher: Berrett-KoehlerPublishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-5230-8594-1

Thom Hartmann, author of The Hidden History Of The Supreme Court And The Betrayal Of America, is a progressive talk show host on the national and international syndicate and author of over twenty four books that have been translated into numerous languages. (2019, back cover)

He has won the Project Censored Award four times. Talkers Magazine designated him as the number one talk show radio host for over a decade running.

Hartmann opens with what he feels was our Founders vision and a quote from James Madison to which he adds “Hobbe’s ideas, with their faith in hierarchy and patriarchy, also formed a basis for today’s conservative movement. He believed that the essential nature of humans was evil (because the Bible tells us we’re all ‘born of woman’) and that man’s original state was a life of continual warfare and fear “During the time men live without a common power to keep all in awe…”.” (2019, p.12-13) 

As our Founders contemplated how best to represent the newly formed USA they also considered members of the Iroquois Confederacy. (paraphrase, 2019, p.14) Benjamin Franklin wrote the following to James Parker. “It would be a very strange Thing, if six Nations of Ignorant Savages should be capable of forming a Scheme for such an Union, and be able to execute it in such a Manner, as that it has subsisted Ages…”. (2019, p.14-15) We did not yet have a court system and the Iroquois Confederacy did. It is clear that they, (our Founders), spent some time reflecting on how that might direct the formation of our Supreme Court. 

Hartmann writes that “From the founding of our republic in 1789 until 1803, the Supreme Court was only the final court of appeals.” (2019, p.16) In the beginning stages of this process they were also working toward ratification of the Constitution. Many also suggested that perhaps the Supreme Court might possess too much power. 

Hartmann interjects the following. “Today, another collision confronts America as more and more progressive politicians attain national office and push for more and more progressive policies. Will the current Supreme Court—dominated by originalist Republican-appointed judges—allow for progressive legislation to move America forward? Or will the Court restrain Congress, the President, and the American people by handing down arcane interpretations of the Constitution to prevent popular policies?” (2019, p.30)   

I think that no matter where you sit in the political spectrum you may find this short book and interesting read. I enjoyed it.