POLI104V: Politics of Legal Institutions

Course Description

This course will span various topics in the social scientific study of the American legal system, with an eye towards research frontiers in these areas. In the first half of the course, we will study federal judicial institutions, covering the political dynamics inside the Supreme Court, between the branches of government, and within the federal hierarchy. Next, we consider the politics of state and local legal institutions, such as law enforcement agencies, jury trials, and judicial elections. Throughout, we will take an analytical approach to studying these institutions, especially focusing on the many ways that law and politics may interact and come into tension with each other. While there are no prerequisites, some familiarity with empirical or analytical methods in political science may be helpful. The format of the class will be a combination of lecture, student presentation, and class discussion. Attendance is not mandatory, but lectures and presentations are not recorded in order to promote engagement and discussion in class.