Representation - when political actors "make present" the perspectives of citizens - is at the heart of democracy. In this course, we will survey how judicial systems represent the perspectives of citizens in democracies. Throughout the course, we will engage with the following questions: What characteristics of judges make for a representative judiciary? Do judicial elections promote or inhibit representation? Do judges, sheriffs, and prosecutors pay attention to public opinion? How do we make law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions? Is the criminal justice system biased? What role do courts play in new democracies? We will answer these questions by examining both unelected and elected judicial systems in the United States; judiciaries in developing, advanced, and non-democracies across the globe; and supra-national courts like the European Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
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