The Monday Night Book Club’s book choice for October is Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge’s View by Stephen Breyer. The book focuses on the Supreme Court’s role in maintaining a workable constitutional system of government. Justice Breyer discusses what the Court must do to maintain public confidence and argues for interpreting the Constitution in a way that works in practice. In particular, this book considers two sets of questions. The first concerns the public’s willingness to accept the Court’s decisions as legitimate. The second considers how the Court can carry out the constitutional responsibilities.
In the end it is the public’s confidence that permits the Court to ensure a Constitution that is more than words on paper. The key lies in the Court’s ability to apply the Constitution’s enduring values to changing circumstances so that individual liberties are protected in a way that benefits all Americans. As this book is discussed on Monday evening, October 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gold Room, all participants will probably learn something of our nation’s history and have a better understanding of how our government works.