No other reference on the US Supreme Court offers so much detail and insight in so readable a format. Now revised and updated through 2003, this classic reference explains everything readers need to know about the Supreme Court, from its origins and how it functions, to the people who have shaped it and the impact of its decisions on American life. The new fourth edition includes recent events, cases and controversies that have molded a distinct legacy for the Rehnquist Court: from the firestorm over Bush v. Gore, the landmark gay-rights decision in Lawrence v. Texas, and the recent University of Michigan affirmative action decisions, to the rejuvenation of states rights, the Rehnquist Court has rewritten Supreme Court history. Guide to the US Supreme Court covers the Court's entire history; its operations; its power in relation to other branches of government; major decisions affecting the other branches, the states, individual rights and liberties; and biographies of the justices. Appendixes provide additional information on the Court such as the Judiciary Acts of 1789 and 1925 and a list of Acts of Congress found by the Court to be unconstitutional. A general name and subject in