The Supreme Court in American Politics New Institutionalist Interpretations Edited by Howard Gillman and Cornell Clayton 280 pages, 6 x 9 Paper ISBN 978-0-7006-0976-5, $17.95 For decades political scientists studying the Court have adopted behavioral approaches and focused on the relatively narrow question of how the justices' policy preferences influence their voting behavior. This emphasis has illuminated important aspects of Supreme Court politics, but it has also left unaddressed many other important questions about this unique and fascinating institution. Drawing on "the new institutionalism" in the social sciences, the distinguished contributors to this volume attempt to fill this gap by exploring a variety of topics, including the Court's institutional development and its relationship to broader political contexts such as party regimes, electoral systems, social movements, social change, legal precedents, political identities, and historically evolving economic structures. The book's initial chapters examine the nature of the Court's distinctive norms as well as the development of its institutional powers and practice. A second section relates the development of Supreme Court politics to the historical development of other political institutions and social movements. Concluding chapters explore how its decision making in particular areas of law or periods of time is influenced by--and influences--its socio-political milieu. These contributions offer provocative insights regarding the Court's role in maintaining or disrupting political and economic structures, as well as social structures and identities tied to ideology, class, race, gender, and sexual orientation. The Supreme Court in American Politics shows how we can develop an enriched understanding of this institution, and open up exciting new areas of research by placing it in the broader context of politics in the United States. "A penetrating exploration of the 'new institutionalism' that expands our understanding of the Supreme Court in its larger political and social contexts."--Tinsley E. Yarbrough, author of Judicial Enigma: The First Justice Harlan "These thoughtful, well-crafted, and engaging essays make a major contribution to our knowledge of the historical development and current dynamics of the politics of the Supreme Court."--Sue Davis, author of Justice Rehnquist and the Constitution "Provides an abundance of insights about the conditions that shape the Court's behavior and its role in the political system."--Lawrence Baum, author of The Supreme Court and The Puzzle of Judicial Behavior "A very useful collection that should attract considerable classroom use."--David M. O'Brien, author of Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics HOWARD GILLMAN is associate professor of political science at the University of Southern California and the author of The Constitution Besieged: The Rise and Demise of Lochner Era Police Powers Jurisprudence. CORNELL CLAYTON is associate professor of political science at Washington State University and the author of The Politics of Justice: The Attorney General and the Making of Legal Policy and the editor of Government Lawyers: The Federal Legal Bureaucracy and Presidential Politics. CONTRIBUTORS: John Brigham, Keith J. Bybee, Susan Burgess, Cornell Clayton, John B. Gates, Howard Gillman, Leslie Friedman Goldstein, Mark A. Graber, Ronald Kahn, Michael McCann, Kevin T. McGuire, Mark Silverstein   Home | About the Press | Recent Awards | Contact Us | Order New Books: | By Author | By Subject | By Title | By Series Books in Print: | By Author | By Subject | By Title | By Series ©2007 University Press of Kansas 2502 Westbrooke Circle, Lawrence, KS 66045-4444 Phone (785) 864-4155; Fax (785) 864-4586