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Political scientists have long recognized the important policy role played by courts in our political system. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union are the most obvious examples of groups in the 20th-century that have successfully used litigation as a means of policy making. There are literally dozens of other groups today that vigorously pursue such a litigation strategy--women's organizations, environmental groups, consumers' groups, lesbian and gay organizations, as well as a more recently active range of conservative groups. The list is a long and varied one. To study American government in the latter half of the 20-century without analysis of policy making by litigation is to ign ore a critical component of our national policy making system. In this seminar each student will choose a different litigation group to research and will be responsible for presenting the results of that research in two written and in-class oral presentations. The seminar will work together to evaluate the implications and results of the courts as policy makers in a representative republic using the student case studies and a number of readings in journals and books.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT Grading Mode: Graded
Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.
Last Updated on MAR-19-2002
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