Lawrence Baum brings students—in this thoroughly revised and updated edition—trusted, balanced, and illuminating coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court. While the Court is always evolving, the changes have been especially sweeping these past few years. Looking closely at the appointments of two new justices and the possible effects of the shift from the Rehnquist Court to the Roberts Court, Baum examines the implications of recent major decisions. Baum explores the Court’s rulings on the procedural rights of suspected terrorists as well as the growth in conflict between Congress and the federal courts.

The ninth edition makes use of new scholarship on the Court, from research on the role of precedent to important biographies of Justice Blackmun and Justice O’Connor. This authoritative introduction to the nation’s highest judicial body describes the Court’s personalities and procedures, delving deeply to explain the actions of the Court and the behavior of justices. Through Baum’s straightforward yet lively prose, students begin to understand the Court’s complexity and reach.

1. The Court

2. The Justices

3. The Cases

4. Decision Making

5. Policy Outputs

6. The Court’s Impact

Glossary of Legal Terms

Select Bibliography

Sources on the Web

Case Index

Index

“The Supreme Court provides a masterfully balanced review of systematic scholarship combined with more textured understandings of how the Court operates. What a rare treat it is to have a text that introduces students to serious research on the Court while keeping them engaged with the real-life politics of the federal judiciary. I have used this book for years in my Judicial Politics class, and it just keeps getting better with each edition.”

- Kent E. Portney, Tufts University

“Baum's book is both comprehensive and sophisticated, locating the Court in a historical context and examining it as a political institution by focusing on how Justices are appointed (or not), what kind of disputes are appealed to the Court, which cases the Justices choose to hear, the dynamics of the decision making process, and the effects of the Court's opinions on a range of political subjects. My students read the book for background information they need in order to learn about constitutional politics, and they find Baum's analysis of the judicial process insightful. In addition, this book enriches our discussions and debates about the role of the Court in the U.S. political process and society.”

- Christine Harrington, New York University

“Lawrence Baum’s Supreme Court is the rare text that appeals to instructors and students alike. I have used previous editions to great success in courses on the judicial process and the Supreme Court. Baum writes in a lucid and lively manner, synthesizing the important theoretical and empirical knowledge of Court structure, process, behavior, and impact. Simply put, this book is an extraordinarily valuable resource.”

- Cynthia Cates, Towson University

Lawrence Baum is professor of political science at the Ohio State University and holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. A widely recognized authority on the court system, Baum is the author of Judges and Their Audiences: A Perspective on Judicial Behavior (2006), American Courts: Process and Policy, 5th Edition (2001) and The Puzzle of Judicial Behavior (1997), as well as numerous articles on topics such as the implementation of court decisions, change in Supreme Court policies, and interaction between the Supreme Court and Congress.