Page limit: ~5 pages (12 pt. font, Times New Roman,double-spaced, normal margins)
For this paper you will choose one of several recently decided Supreme Court cases provided in a separate list.
The goal of the paper is twofold. First, the cases present a chance to study important real-world issues in American politics beyond our
coverage in class of congressional and presidential politics. Second, this paper allows you to connect the issues of your case to what we have
learned in class thus far. In particular, you should discuss relevant information about civil rights, civil liberties, and theories of
judicial decision-making from class and your readings. Specifically, your paper should include the following:
Section 1 (2-3 pages)
• Describe the background of your case: the plaintiffs, the story, and how the case got to the Supreme Court.
• State the main questions of the law the case involves and describe what arguments the different sides present.
• Identify the major legal precedent(s) of the case.
• Explain the ruling, including a description of the written opinion and dissent.
Section 2 (Less than 1 page)
• Describe how this casemay factor into electoral politics. How do the different parties stand to gain or lose from the decision?
Section 3 (1-2 pages)
• Connect the paper (as is relevant to your specific topic) to what you have learned about civil rights or civil liberties and theories
of judicial decision-making.
Helpful resources:
The Oyez Project
http://www.oyez.org/
SCOTUS Blog
Cornell University Law School
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/home
Reminders:
Use quotes only when doing so will improve the paper.
ALWAYS cite your sources, even if you have rephrased something in your own words. You can use footnote citations if you choose to do so.
You will likely need to edit several drafts to develop a paper that fully covers all the required analysis into the space of 5 pages. Please
see Mic
