[laughter] >> host: anna harvey an associate professor at new york university also of the author of the book "a mere machine" the supreme court, congress, and american democracy". professor harvey? >> guest: we're looking at to questions. the first is when does the supreme court decide constitutional cases talking about the constitutionality to do so independently as the elected branches. most people argue the answer the question yes. i can tell you that there's usually some combination of the following. the justices have salaries that are protected by the constitution. and then is the consequence their independent of the elected branches in that is probably a good thing. thinking of the first part that is what most of the book is about the first two parts of the claim there is good behavior tenure that by the house and the senate under vaguely worded grounds but the second part that their salaries protected is also not true but to specifically lower the justices' salaries while they set of of bench because of inflation there is no requirement that congress increase the justices salarie

democracy" in which she looks at the influence of the supreme court on the judicial branch. >> host: anna harvey is here with us and she is the author of "a mere machine: the supreme court, congress, and american democracy." professor harvey, what does your book mean? >> guest: i would say it is about two questions. the first is when the supreme court decides constitutional cases and makes rulings on the federal statutes does it do so independent of the elected legislature and most people i think would argue is the answer to yes. i teach politics at nyu and i can tell you every text book i have seen says some combination of the following: the justice have live tenure and salaries that are protected and as a consequence they decide cases independently of the elected branches and furthermore that is probably a good thing. thinking about the first part of that, claiming the courts decide, most of the book is about examining that and seeing if anything is true. the first two parts are definitely not true. they don't have life tenure. you can look at the constitution. they have good behavior tenure m

[applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> new york university's anna harvey sat down to talk about her book: "a mere machine." in which she looks at the influence by the u.s. house of representatives on the judicial branch. it's about 35 minutes. >> host: an najar have i is an associate professor of politics at new york university, also the author of this book: "a mere machine: the supreme court, congress, and american democracy." professor harvey, what is your thesis? >> guest: well, i guess i would say the book is really more about two questions. the first question is, when the supreme court decides constitutional cases, it's making rulings on the constitutionality of a federal statute, does it do so independently of the elective branches? and most people i think would argue that the answer to that question is, yes. so one of the things i do is teach -- i teach politics at nyu, and pretty much every textbook i have ever seen says some combination of the following: the justices have life tenure, they have salaries that are protected by the constitution. they can

. >> host: anna harvey professor of politics at the york university author of "a mere machine" the supreme court, congress, and american democracy". thank you. >> host: patrick egan was a duty to your university? >> guest: in the politics department with a courtesy appointment in the wagner school. >> what classes are you currently teaching? >> five on sabbatical. i teach courses in public opinion and quantitative analysis. >> host: what is quantitative analysis? >> what has taken over how we cover politics, mainly due caracol analysis of the election. >> what do you do on a sabbatical? >> guest: you write a book. [laughter] that is what you hope to do. >> are you encouraged to publish at york university? >> guest: absolutely. we are a research university we have improved our stature partly because we are devoted to research. >> host: what you currently working on? >> howdy participation and political attitudes of gay americans changed over the course of the last 20 years and with public policy with lgbt and what we typically don't hear is how are gay people responding to how this change t

. >> host: anna harvey, professor of politics at new york university and the author of this book, "a mere machine: the supreme court, congress, and american democracy." thank you. >> guest: thank you. >> next we talk to patrick egan about this book partisan priorities in new york city. in the book professor eagan looks at the issues that the majority of americans agree with better handled by one party or the other and discuss what this means for politics. this is about 20 minutes. >> host: patrick egan, what do you teach at new york university? >> guest: i am in the politics department in the wagoner school. >> host: what classes do you teach? >> guest: i am on sabbatical which is a professor's joy. but we do love our students. i teach public opinion courses and qualitative analysis to our ph d students. >> host: what is qualitative analysis? >> guest: is is numerical analysis of politics. >> host: what do you do an a sabbatical? >> guest: you write another book. or that is one of the things you hope to do. >> host: are you encouraged to publish at new york university? >> guest: abso

tonight at 8:00 eastern new york university professor anna harvey examines the house of representatives on the judicial branch. former cia director and defense secretary leon panetta as he recalls his career in public service. afterwards at 10:00 p.m. eastern jay caliber and looks at the consumer debt collection industry. at 11:00 ronald kessler reports on the secret service and the first family. all happens tonight on c-span2's booktv. booktv covers 14 author events at the southern festival of books and in the next six hours we will bring you six of those events featuring 110 authors on race and inequality in america, the history of the south and war. of first is the author of no good men among the living:america, the taliban and the worse for through afghan allies. the book was named a finalist at the national book award for nonfiction. but.. and as reported on the middle east and south asia as well as other complications. the new america foundation fellow will speak to us about his first book, "no good men among the living". there will be time for questions and about ten to 20 minute

tonight at 8:00 eastern new york university professor anna harvey examines the influence of the house of representatives on the judicial branch. at 8:45 c i a director and defense secretary leon panetta as he recalls his career in public service. on after were dead and:00 p.m. eastern, the consumer debt collection industry. at 11:00 ronald kessler reports on the secret service and the first family. that all happens tonight on c-span2's booktv. the c-span city tour takes booktv and american history tv on the road travelling to u.s. cities to learn about their history and literary life. this weekend we partner with time warner cable for a visit to green bay, wisconsin. >> wisconsin is known -- we make the most sheets and the best sheets. the industry developer in wisconsin allowed what was homestead cheese, the family made cheese for their own use and was recognized we had an ideal environment for eating dairy cow and cheese was just the way to take that perishable product before refrigeration and will only last three days. if you make cheese, you have cheddar cheese, can last for a dec