POLS 333 - United States Courts and Public Policy (4)

An introduction to the political science of law and courts. We evaluate law and the courts as political institutions and judges as political actors and policy-makers. Some of the topics we will cover are: what courts do, the power of courts, the constraints on judicial decision-making, judge/justice selection and appointment, conflict within the federal judicial hierarchy, case selection, and the role of ideology and constitutionalism on the courts. See department chair.