Judicial Process in America
- Robert A. Carp - University of Houston, USA
- Kenneth L. Manning - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, USA
- Lisa M. Holmes - University of Vermont, USA
- Ronald Stidham - Appalachian State University, USA
Law & Courts
Known for shedding light on the link between the courts, public policy, and the political environment, Judicial Process in America offers students a clear but comprehensive overview of today’s American judiciary. Considering the courts from every level, the authors thoroughly cover judges, lawyers, litigants, and the variables at play in judicial decision-making. The highly anticipated Eleventh Edition offers updated coverage of recent Supreme Court rulings, including same-sex marriage and health care subsidies; the effect of three women justices on the Court's patterns of decision; and the policy-making role of state tribunals as they consider an increasing number of state programs and policies.
New to this Edition
- Discussions of recent judicial appointments take a critical look at how President Trump’s victory has set the stage for moving the ideological direction of the Supreme Court and of the lower federal judiciary in a distinctly more conservative direction.
- An analysis of recent controversial Supreme Court decisions help students to identify with the content by exploring issues such as, citizenship rights for immigrants, gay and lesbian rights, and freedom of speech and religion.
- Additional tables and graphs illustrate the patterns and trends that are occurring in today’s judicial process.
- New coverage of current topics help students see how the judicial process is applied. These topics include:
- the legality of Congress’ feeble attempts to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act that affects millions of people;
- how to address the issues of immigration and deportations, including what to do about so-called Dreamers (children brought illegally to the United States by their parents without the children’s knowledge and who have spent much or all of their lives here);
- the status of abortion rights in America as more and more conservative states have sought to further restrict a woman’s right to such a procedure;
- the legal status of transgender persons in the armed forces;
- the degree to which severely gerrymandered legislative districts pass constitutional muster; and
- the great changes in the issue of same-sex marriage, both among average Americans and within the state and federal court systems (including all the ancillary issues such as whether same-sex couples can adopt children and obtain government fringe benefits).
“Carp, et. al. have written an introductory text that includes the most recent literature on the judicial politics but do so in a manner that is accessible to students of various backgrounds and knowledge. It is the best textbook for an introductory judicial politics course so that students can learn how the courts at all levels do their work and impact politics and public policy.”
“The text provides a comprehensive introduction to—and survey of—the study of courts, judges, and the American legal process. Written by several widely respected scholars in the field, the text provides extensive coverage of how courts and judges operate and how they relate to the broader society of which they are a part. Accessible even to those students who are new to the study of courts and law while also providing a nuanced and sophisticated view of the state of research in the field, the text is regarded as a leader in the field and as a useful addition to the library of the novice and the expert alike.”
“I have been assigning this text for more than 10 years. It is an outstanding textbook to introduce students to the judicial process.”
“This text provides a terrific overview of the legal system – which is my main reason for using it. I also like the Suggested Resources…”
“I would describe it as a very straightforward approach to providing thorough descriptions to many of the main and important topics of the U.S. legal system. It goes into great depth for important topics and it also covers a wide variety of topics. It’s physical size is also nice in that it is not a humongous sized textbook, rather it is easy to use and navigate because the layout of the chapters are easy to understand and nicely divided…”
“I like the book. I like the length and the writing style. It focuses on important information and provides a good source of information on basic structure and procedure. The book is readable, the chapters fairly short and students tell me they like the book and find it a helpful companion to lectures…”
“I have been using this text for 20 years. I most like, and use, the chapters that examine state and federal courts, judges, the groups in the judicial process, and the procedures and prior to, during, and after a trial. These chapters are clearly written and lay out the facts in a well-organized, accessible manner…”
“I would say that it is a thoughtful and comprehensive introduction to the judicial institutions, norms, and practices of the United States, with enough detail to carry an undergraduate course or to set up expanded discussions of selected topics.”
“I would describe this book as a political perspective on the American court system. It encourages readers to think about courts as government organizations and approach their study as one would other political institutions.”
“This book is a well-written, thorough coverage of the judicial process in the United States. It is thorough, without being pedantic. If one is looking to answer a question about how the judicial process should work in the United States, the answer is either in this book or provides the guide to where one should look. In addition to being readable, the book provides references to the scholarly literature that students need to begin a more in-depth analysis of topics in which they are interested.”
