POL 316 The American Judicial System

3 Credit(s) DIII

Using cases and secondary sources, students will explore the judiciary’s organizational structure, state and federal courts’ jurisdiction as well as civil and constitutional decisions. Students will also consider judges’ commitments to both the written Constitution and the political environment, and students will examine the legal system’s democratic and anti-majoritarian aspects. This course will help prepare students for a career in the legal profession, and it will be valuable to those interested in the powers and limits of the U.S. judicial system. Three lecture hours per week.