Understanding the U.S. Supreme Court

A new and fresh approach to the study of the U.S. Supreme Court, this text breaks the mold by moving away from the standard overview approach that focuses on illustrations of institutions, policies, and individuals. Instead, Understanding the U.S. Supreme Court examines what often most captivates students--the actual cases, issues, and personalities of the Court. Not meant to be a history or a legal analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court, but a political science text focused on the contemporary Court, the book piques students’ interest by guiding them through a series of case studies that illustrate many of the most important research findings in the field of judicial politics. With detailed and lively narratives, the book shows students how the systematic research of political science sheds light on the practical politics of the Supreme Court.