Course Description
The U.S. Supreme Court has become an object of intense political scrutiny. Is the current situation unique? An examination of historical and present controversies involving the Court in politics, from attacks on the Marshall Court to recent episodes involving the nomination process and salient social and economic issues.
Athena Title
Supreme Court Case Controvers
Prerequisite
POLS 1101 or POLS 1105H or POLS 1101E
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. The primary goals of this course include: 1) to bolster students’ understanding of how and when the Supreme Court is intertwined with American political controversies, 2) to equip students with a better grasp of how social science explains judicial selection and tenure, judicial behavior, interbranch relations, and how courts interact with the public, and 3) to improve students’ understanding of how the federal courts function as subjects of conflicts and venues for policy disputes. In most instances, general concepts and theories are established by course material and then demonstrated with relevant examples.
Topical Outline
a. The origins, structure, and functions of federal courts b. Theories of judicial behavior c. Judicial selection, retention, and turnover d. Judicial administration and leadership e. Intracourt politics f. The Supreme Court and the separation of powers g. The Supreme Court, interest groups, and public opinion h. The Supreme Court and the press