Law, Politics and Society

POLITICAL SCIENCE 358

This course investigates how the law and legal system functions in American society. We will place an emphasis on studying both how politics and society shape the legal system and how the law shapes society and politics. We will develop an understanding of how law is created and interpreted, how legal processes shape public policy, why a broad class of legal and political actors (including judges, lawyers, prosecutors, legislators, juries, and the police) behave the way they do, and how ordinary citizens relate to the law. Throughout the course, we will interrogate some of the most pressing legal and political issues in contemporary American society, including inequality, criminal justice reform, policing, incarceration, political tolerance, democratic backsliding, and protests and social movements.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Section 01

Law, Politics and Society
INSTRUCTOR: Stone
View Course Listing - SP2023