In The Supreme Court, Lawrence Baum provides a brief yet comprehensive introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court, one that is balanced and illuminating. In successive chapters, the book examines each major aspect of the Court: the selection, backgrounds, and departures of justices; the creation of the Court’s agenda; the decision-making process and the factors that shape the Court’s decisions; the substance of the Court’s policies; and the Court’s impact on government and American society. With the new eleventh edition, the book gives particular attention to current developments in the Court, including the leadership of Chief Justice Roberts, the key position of Justice Kennedy as “swing” justice, and the Court’s role in shaping national policy on such issues as campaign finance and health care. In addition, it examines the impact on the Court of the growing polarization that has reshaped politics in the United States. Describing the Court’s personalities and procedures, and delving deeply to explain the actions of the Court and the behavior of justices, Baum shows students the Court’s complexity and reach. Tables and figures, plus a lively photo program, make this one of the most engaging books available. It is simply the standard.

Key Features:

• Each chapter has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent events, developments, and scholarship, including discussion of:
  • The impact of political polarization in the selection of justices, reactions to the Court’s decisions, and the thinking of the justices themselves. 
  • The decisions that have reshaped the law of campaign funding and the conduct of campaigns, as well as the Court’s key 2012 decision on the federal health care law.
  • The most recent appointment of Justice Elena Kagan in 2010. 
  • The Roberts Court’s developing positions in major areas of legal policy. 
• Tables, figures, boxes, and photos illustrate and illuminate key points.
• Glossary of legal terms and case index provides useful reference tools for students.

Each chapter has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent events, developments, and scholarship, including discussion of:

• The impact of political polarization in the selection of justices, reactions to the Court’s decisions, and the thinking of the justices themselves.
• The decisions that have reshaped the law of campaign funding and the conduct of campaigns, as well as the Court’s key 2012 decision on the federal health care law.
• The most recent appointment of Justice Elena Kagan in 2010.
• The Roberts Court’s developing positions in major areas of legal policy.

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Tables, Figures, and Boxes 
Preface 

1. The Court 
   • A Perspective on the Court 
   • The Court in the Judicial System 
   • An Overview of the Court 
   • The Court’s History 
2. The Justices 
   • The Selection of Justices 
   • Who Is Selected 
   • Leaving the Court 
   • Conclusion 
3. The Cases 
   • Reaching the Court: Litigants, Attorneys, and Interest Groups 
   • Deciding What to Hear: The Court’s Role 
   • Setting the Size of the Agenda 
   • Conclusion 
4. Decision Making 
   • Components of the Court’s Decision 
   • The Decision-Making Process 
   • Influences on Decisions: Introduction 
   • The State of the Law 
   • Justices’ Values 
   • Group Interaction 
   • The Court’s Environment 
   • Conclusion 
5. Policy Outputs 
   • Areas of Activity: What the Court Addresses 
   • The Court’s Activism 
   • The Content of Policy 
   • Explaining the Court’s Policies 
   • Conclusion 
6. The Court’s Impact 
   • Outcomes for the Parties 
   • Implementation of Supreme Court Policies 
   • Responses by Legislatures and Chief Executives 
   • Impact on Society 
   • Conclusion: The Court, Public Policy, and Society 

Glossary of Legal Terms 
Selected Bibliography 
Sources on the Web 
Case Index 
Index 

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. He has received the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching and the University Distinguished Scholar Award.

The Supreme Court, 11e + Judges on Judging, 4e
Baum, O'Brien
ISBN: 978-1-4522-7636-6, $68

The Supreme Court, 11e + Judicial Process in America, 8e
Baum, Carp, Stidham, Manning
ISBN: 978-1-4522-8448-4, $97