The Confirmation Mess: Cleaning Up The Federal Appointments Process

This book, Stephen L. Carter writes, "is about the difference between arguing the merits of a proposed appointment and turning the public debate into the intellectual equivalent of a barroom brawl." He does not take sides; he finds what happened to Robert Bork as distasteful as what happened to Lani Guinier. And, with a flair for sophisticated arguments couched in plain language evident throughout his work, he argues that the only way things will get better is if the American people redefine their attitude to public service, envisioning it as a job for those competent to perform it rather than a bonus to be handed out to those who have earned favor with ruling parties.