Finally, I have attached a list of resources and readings that you can use to follow up on special interests or questions. Many of us study the court as part of a broader interest in topics such as social movements, civil rights, civil liberties, gender equity, freedom of speech and belief, economic policy, or the organization of American government. Others study the court as a unique institution in American government and explore its internal workings as well as its interactions with the elected branches of the federal government, the fifty different state governments, and thousands of municipal governments. Still others take a more philosophical approach and explore the meanings and implications of the court's jurisprudence on fundamental rights and liberties. Whatever our personal bent, we seem to be repeatedly drawn to this apparent dichotomy between law and politics.
Laws are, after all, written by politicians.
And judges, who normally come from politically active backgrounds, are appointed by politicians and are often savvy players in the political world. Law, then, is inescapably political. He provides an historical overview of the court's history, extensive analysis of judicial behavior, and excerpts of key cases through 1990. Required cases that are recent enough not to be included in the Goldman text are available online at the Legal Information Institute housed at Cornell Law School . The Oxford Companion is a recent and widely welcomed encyclopedia of the Supreme Court with explanations of cases, mini-biographies of justices, definitions of terms and concepts, and lots of other great stuff.