IN PERSON: America had become the richest nation on earth when William Howard Taft became chief justice in 1921, and for the next nine years, his Supreme Court embraced a conservative pro-business agenda. American values were represented by the decision in the Lochner v. New York case of 1905, which invalidated a 60-hour workweek. The stock market crash in 1929 and Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal in 1933 created an inevitable conflict between differing visions of the world. Enraged by court decisions against New Deal legislation, Roosevelt attempted to reform the court and failed. Only after several nominations was he able to create a more sympathetic institution. A decade later, Earl Warren's court (1953-1969) became the most liberal in history. Students in this lecture-based course will learn how the Republican Party built its campaign to regain conservative control of the court. To many, the decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022 marks the success of that effort. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 30.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
