Nagel's book delves into the Court's renewed interest in federalism and relates it to wider cultural issues. In a highly original contribution to the debate, Nagel argues that worries about political disunity are over-rated: far from being in the throes of a return to a confederated system by giving power back to the states, the US is tied in a system of centralization more likely to implode than disintegrated. Nagel takes the controversial position that the Court's small but highly controversial efforts a promoting decentralization are significant mainly in revealing a partial awareness of the powerful centralizing trend that are now in place. This well-written book will generate plenty of interest among legal/political scholars, and anyone with an interest in contemporary Court issues.