Judicial Process in America

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).

Robert A. Carp is professor of political science at the University of Houston. He is coauthor of Policymaking and Politics in the Federal Courts; Politics and Judgment in Federal District Courts; the Federal Courts, fourth edition, with Ronald Stidham; and numerous articles on judicial process.

Kenneth L. Manning is professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He is coauthor with Robert A. Carp and Ronald Stidham of The Federal Courts (Fifth Edition) and The State Courts, and coeditor of Political Perspectives: Essays on Government and Politics. Manning′s work on the politics of judicial decision-making and federal judicial selection have been published in a variety of journals.

Ronald Stidham is professor emeritus of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University. He is coauthor of The Federal Courts, Fifth Edition, with Robert A. Carp and Kenneth L. Manning; The State Courts, with Robert A. Carp and Kenneth L. Manning; and numerous articles in legal, social science, and criminal justice journals.