Democracy and Distrust

“John Ely takes a fresh and bold look at one of our oldest national mysteries, the justification for judicial power in a democracy. He slices away at some of my favorite legal theories, and he is devastating. But he does it with such understanding and even humor that it seems not bloody but enlightening.”—Anthony Lewis, The New York Times

“We are dealing, ladies and gentlemen, with a truly stylish mind in Mr. Ely. Even if one rejects his argument…one cannot fail to enjoy the intellectual zest with which he tackles a host of issues, large and small, along the way… Ely’s mere presence on the scene is almost enough to guarantee a stimulating period in constitutional theory during the years to come.”—Joseph Sobran, National Review

“Wry, witty, and endowed with both dignity and informality. Would that more lawyers (including judges) could write half so well.”—Telford Taylor, The New York Times Book Review

“Democracy and Distrust will have a wide influence for a long time… Ely writes simply and engagingly with a sense of humor. Yet the reader had better keep his wits about him lest he miss the subtleties. Much of the charm is in the author’s candor in facing hard questions. Much of it lies in his good common sense.”—Archibald Cox, Harvard Law Review

“This is the most important book about law in at least fifteen years. It is a great book… In developing his new and exciting theory, Ely spins off important insights like sparks from a generator.”—Daniel J. Kornstein, New York Law Journal

“The single most important contribution to the American theory of judicial review written in this century.”—Henry P. Monaghan, Columbia Law School

“This is the rare book that lives up to its dust-cover raves.”—Andrew L. Kaufman, Harvard Law School