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The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court Jeffrey Toobin’s novel, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, is quite literally defined by its title. It provides readers with insight regarding how the Supreme Court works. Of all the branches of government, the Supreme Court is hands down the least impacted by the American people. This legal branch is elite and its affairs are extremely private. Everything the public knows about the Court has only been covered by public events and limited reports. Toobin describes the Court from the perspective of an insider, which exposes readers to information which they have never previously considered. In the world of the Supreme Court, politics is essential. More specifically, personal politics is essential. Presidents tend to appoint justices whom they believe believe will abide by the Constitution and share their politics as well as the politics of the Senate, which must approve them. Consequently, every Supreme Court justice tends to shape his/her decisions in such a way that they align with the ideas of the president he/she was appointed by. Justices are also sometimes chosen from a narrow point of view since the number of possible appointees is often limited. For example, during George Bush’s presidency, in order to fill a justice vacancy, he searched for someone who would share conservative views, yet he also wanted a minority to avoid a Supreme Court made up of all white men. Thus, he appointed Clarence Thomas, who was greatly approved. Bush claimed that Thomas was simply the best candidate but it is hard to deny that his decision was also racially driven. Throughout the novel, Toobin mentions the role alliances play in the Supreme Court. In addition to relationships between the President and each justice, alliances among the justices themselves are significant. Justices often work alongside other justices with whom they share

similar viewpoints on certain cases. Then, negotiations take place to cater to certain justices’ ideas. Most cases wind up unanimous in their verdicts. Jeffrey Toobin fills his novel with a series of anonymous accounts to protect the Supreme Court’s sense of privacy. Frequently, though, one can determine which justice is being quoted or described. The Nine essentially sums up everything there is to know about the Supreme Court’s functionality. The Supreme Court is highly complex and a lot of work goes into making sure the Court’s traditional nature is preserved....