Constitutional law is clearly shaped by judicial actors. But who else contributes? Scholars in the past have recognized that the legislative branch plays a significant role in determining structural issues, such as separation of powers and federalism, but stopped there--claiming that only courts had the independence and expertise to safeguard individual and minority rights. In this readable and engaging narrative, the authors identify the nuts and bolts of the national dialogue and relate succinct examples of how elected officials and the general public often dominate the Supreme Court in...

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The United States Supreme Court s 2002 03 term confounded Court watchers. The same Rehnquist Court that many had seen as solidly conservative and unduly activist the Court that helped decide the 2000 presidential election and struck down thirty-one federal statutes since 1995 issued a set of surprising, watershed rulings. In a term filled with important and unpredictable decisions, it upheld affirmative action, invalidated a same-sex sodomy statute, and reversed a death sentence due to ineffective assistance of counsel. With essays focused on individual Justices, Court practices, and some of...

The United States Supreme Court s 2002 03 term confounded Court watchers. The same Rehnquist Court that many had seen as solidly conservative and unduly activist the Court that helped decide the 2000 presidential election and struck down thirty-one federal statutes since 1995 issued a set of surprising, watershed rulings. In a term filled with important and unpredictable decisions, it upheld affirmative action, invalidated a same-sex sodomy statute, and reversed a death sentence due to ineffective assistance of counsel. With essays focused on individual Justices, Court practices, and some of...