How did the American courts become what they are today? In The Steal, Alex Wagner follows four men who helped turn a conservative political vision into a lasting judicial power: Ronald Reagan’s attorney general, Edwin Meese; organizer Paul Weyrich; beer magnate, Joseph Coors; and legal scholar Robert Bork.

Beginning amid the upheaval of the 1960’s and moving into the Reagan presidency, Wagner traces the money, alliances, and legal strategies behind their campaign. Her central argument is that the transformation of America;s courts wasn’t simply a matter of chance vacancies or election victories- it was the result of decades of determined organizing.

It’s a look behind the curtain at how a relatively small group helped shape decisions affecting millions of Americans, long after Reagan left office.