Courts and Social Policy

3 credits · Undergraduate

This course will consider the role of courts in our governmental system. Are they overstepping their boundaries when they take an active role in public policy formation and institutional management? Are they interfering with the proper functioning of other government institutions, such as Congress, the Presidency or state governments? Are they acting on the basis of law or merely expressing the political preferences of the judges? Are they upholding or violating the rule of law? Are they supporting or undermining democratic government? With the nation waiting in anticipation to see what the current Supreme Court will do, this is a crucial time for us, as a nation, to address these questions. Prerequisite/Corequisite: ULAW 1000. [3]