List of Tables and Figures
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Foundations of Law in the United States
Sources of Law in the United States
The United States and the Rule of Law
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 2: The Federal Judicial System
Constitutional Courts, Legislative Courts, and Courts of Specialized Jurisdiction
Administrative and Staff Support in the Federal Judiciary
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 3: State Judicial Systems
Historical Development of State Courts
Norm Enforcement in the State Courts
Administrative Hearings in the States
Policymaking in the State Courts
Innovation in State Courts
Administrative and Staff Support in the State Judiciary
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 4: Jurisdiction and Policymaking Boundaries
Jurisdiction of Federal Courts
Jurisdiction of State Courts
Jurisdiction and Legislative Politics
Jurisdiction and Forum Shopping
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 5: State Judges
Background Characteristics of State Judges
The Selection Process for State Judges
The Retirement, Removal, and Judicial Oversight of State Judges
Judicial Independence and State Courts
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 6: Federal Judges
Background Characteristics of Federal Judges
The Federal Selection Process and Its Participants
The Judicial Socialization Process
The Consequences of Lifetime Tenure
The 2024 Elections and the Federal Judiciary
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 7: Policy Links Among the Citizenry, the President, and the Federal Judiciary
The President and the Composition of the Judiciary
Presidents’ Values and Their Appointees’ Decisions
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 8: Lawyers, Litigants, and Interest Groups in the Judicial Process
Lawyers and the Legal Profession
Interest Groups in the Judicial Process
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 9: Crime and Procedures Prior to a Criminal Trial
The Nature and Substance of Crime
Procedures Prior to a Criminal Trial
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 10: The Criminal Trial and Its Aftermath
Procedures During a Criminal Trial
Procedures After a Criminal Trial
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 11: The Civil Court Process
The Nature and Substance of Civil Law
The Courts and Other Institutions Concerned with Civil Law
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 12: Decision-Making by Trial Court Judges
The Democratic Subculture
The Subcultures as Predictors
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 13: Decision-Making in Collegial Courts
Practical Applications of These Four Approaches
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 14: Implementation and Impact of Judicial Policies
The Impact of Higher Court Decisions on Lower Courts
Congressional In?uences on the Implementation Process
Executive Branch In?uences on the Implementation Process
The Impact of Judicial Policies
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Chapter 15: Policymaking by American Judges: A Synthesis
The Nature of the Case or Issue
The Values and Orientations of the Judges
The Nature of the Judicial Decision-Making Process
The Impact of Extraneous In?uences
Further Thought And Discussion Questions
Appendix: Annotated Constitution
Glossary
Case Index
Subject Index
About the Authors