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Courts are political institutions
Judicial decisions operate within relationships among branches, actors, law, and public expectations.
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01:790:106 · Political Science · School 01 — New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences
Law and Politics examines the role of law and politics in the federal court system, focusing on interactions among the Supreme Court, Congress, and president and on how courts operate in the United States.
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Rutgers Schedule of Classes
How hard?
Students rate teaching
SIRS · 2,489 responses · 2014–2025
Spring 2027
11 open in snapshot · 3 instructors
When it meets
C/D, College Avenue, Online
Checked-in sections · current seat counts are unavailable.
MW 3:50 PM · C/D · 9 sections · 9 open
AI-generated overview
Higher means more demanding · AI summary
4 units · topic sequence may vary by instructor
The course introduces the federal court system as a political and legal institution rather than a purely technical forum.
Students examine the Supreme Court's role, authority, and relationship to other branches of government.
The official description centers interaction among the Court, Congress, and president, making interbranch conflict and cooperation central.
The course asks students to evaluate how courts operate and what their decisions mean for policy and democratic accountability.
Judicial decisions operate within relationships among branches, actors, law, and public expectations.
The course's interbranch focus shows why constitutional power is negotiated rather than held by one institution alone.
Court decisions can shape policy, while political institutions also affect the legal environment.
Evaluating courts includes asking how authority is justified and held accountable.
Common pitfall
Instead
Track the institutional actors, political incentives, and policy consequences around each decision.
Common pitfall
Instead
Study the interactions, checks, and conflicts that the official course description emphasizes.
Common pitfall
Instead
Separate formal legal power from implementation, compliance, and political response.
11 open · C/D, College Avenue, Online
| Section | Status | Instructor | Meeting | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0116402 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 12:10 PM-1:30 PM at HCK 201HCK 138HCK 201 | C/D |
| 0216403 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at FOR 138BHCK 138FOR 138B | C/D |
| 0316404 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 10:20 AM-11:40 AM at LOR 115HCK 138LOR 115 | C/D |
| 0416405 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 2:00 PM-3:20 PM at HSB 206HCK 138HSB 206 | C/D |
| 0516406 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 12:10 PM-1:30 PM at RAB 207HCK 138RAB 207 | C/D |
| 0616407 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 214HCK 138HCK 214 | C/D |
| 0716408 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 12:10 PM-1:30 PM at FSW 101HCK 138FSW 101 | C/D |
| 0816409 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 2:00 PM-3:20 PM at RAB 208HCK 138RAB 208 | C/D |
| 0916410 | Open | Douglas Cantor | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HCK 138; Thursday 10:20 AM-11:40 AM at HCK 201HCK 138HCK 201 | C/D |
| 1316411 | Open | Carney-Waterton | Tuesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at FH A6; Thursday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at FH A6FH A6 | College Avenue |
| 9016412 | Open | Wollenberg | ONLINE INSTRUCTION(INTERNET) | Online |
Historical student surveys
Teaching
4.28
Course quality
4.22
Response rate
46.3%
Coverage
58 offerings · 2014–2025
| Instructor | Offerings | Teaching | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yvonne Wollenberg | 8 | 4.56 | 4.51 |
| Wollenberg | 8 | 4.31 | 4.30 |
| Jo-Leo Carney-Waterton | 6 | 3.85 | 3.63 |
| Wollenberg Yvonne | 5 | 4.36 | 4.40 |
| Douglas Cantor | 5 | 4.48 | 4.38 |
| Young | 4 | 4.58 | 4.45 |
Catalog and planning context
Credits
3
Current campuses
C/D, College Avenue, Online
Current availability
11 open of 11
Catalog terms
Fall, Spring, Summer
Core codes
GVT, HST, SCL, SOEHS
Loaded terms
6
No prerequisite note appears in the checked-in Rutgers catalog snapshots.
No direct degree-list membership appears in the checked-in requirement index.