Truman's Court: A Study in Judicial Restraint, Vol. 45 »

FRANCES HOWELL RUDKO, an attorney in private practice for 15 years, was recently appointed to the position of Law Clerk to Chief Judge Franklin Waters, Western District Federal Court of Arkansas.

Much of the debate surrounding the Supreme Court can be traced to the notion that the Court is primarily a political rather than a judicial institution. When the Court is viewed from an ideological standpoint, it becomes tempting, for example, to equate judicial "restraint" with conservatism, and "activism" with a liberal political perspective. In her study of the Truman Court, Rudko demonstrates the fallacy of the political approach. Focusing of the record of President Truman's four "liberal" appointees, she looks at the judicial philosophy underlying important decisions involving the rights of individuals and shows how judicial issues--especially the balance between restraint and activism--have determined the decision-making process.

Judicial Restraint versus Judicial Activism

The Truman Legacy

Burton's Tenure on the Court

Vinson's Tenure on the Court

Clark's Tenure on the Court

Minton's Tenure on the Court

Bibliography

Index