Roberts & Alito: The Triumph of Roosevelt Over Madison?

The doctrinal crossroad involves, not the Commerce Clause, but the Necessary and Proper Clause. In Raich, Justice Scalia endorses the Roosevelt New Deal Court's approach to that clause; while Justice Thomas endorses Madison's approach. To the extent that we can predict justices Roberts and Alito will side with Roosevelt/Scalia over Madison/Thomas, then their appointments represent the triumph (once again) of Rooseveltian judicial restraint over the text and original meaning of the actual Constitution.

Randy Barnett