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xii How to Use This Book come?” “Do judges’ political attitudes and ideologies influence their legal decisions?” “Is public faith and confidence in the Supreme Court in decline?” The entry then provides a concise and objective one- or two-paragraph Answer to the featured question, followed by a more comprehensive, detailed explanation of The Facts. This latter portion of each entry uses quantifiable, evidence-based information from respected sources to fully address each question and provide readers with the information they need to be informed citizens. Importantly, entries also acknowledge instances in which conflicting data exists or data is incomplete. Finally, each entry con- cludes with a Further Reading section, providing users with information on other important and/or influential resources. The ultimate purpose of every book in the Contemporary Debates series is to reject “false equivalence,” in which demonstrably false beliefs or state- ments are given the same exposure and credence as the facts to puncture myths that diminish our understanding of important policies and posi- tions to provide needed context for misleading statements and claims and to confirm the factual accuracy of other assertions. In other words, vol- umes in this series are being crafted to clear the air surrounding some of the most contentious and misunderstood issues of our time—not just add another layer of obfuscation and uncertainty to the debate.