Conflicting Loyalties

"Nancy V. Baker offers much insight into why the office of U.S. Attorney General has so often been embroiled in controversy in American political history. she traces the problems of the office to the conflicting expectations for an officer who must be loyal both to the law and to the president. . . . A well-written and worthwhile study of an important and often misunderstood office."—American Historical Review

"A careful, much needed overview of the attorney general’s office and the difficulties its occupants face in trying to satisfy multiple constituencies."—American Political Science Review

"A suggestive and worthwhile contribution to the growing body of work on the attorney general and the Justice Department. The chapter on the origins and development of the attorney general's office and the case studies on the most recent incumbents are especially insightful and well written."—Journal of American History

"Baker skillfully describes and analyzes the office and traces its history."—Choice

"Baker concentrates on the critical juncture confronting all holders of the office: the conflict inherent between serving as the chief law officer committed to the rule of law and functioning as a political agent through duties as a cabinet officer and presidential advisor."—History: Reviews of New Books

"An exceptional work. . . . Baker has made the first comprehensive analysis of the Attorney General’s office."—Louis Fisher, author of Constitutional Conflicts between Congress and the President

"Baker writes well, organizes coherently, and thinks clearly. . . . Her linkages between time periods, events, institutions, and alternatives create a viable whole rather than the usual case-study mish-mash. . . . She comes closer to the present than all but a few historians are courageous enough to risk."—Harold M. Hyman, author of Equal Justice under Law: Constitutional History, 1835–1875