1. LAW AND AMERICAN POLITICS 1.Law and Politics 2.Law and Social Order -regulate behavior -resolve disputes -secure rights and liberties -allocate resources 3.The Culture of American Law -constitutionalism -legalism -adversarial nature -professionalism

2. 4.The Structure of the Legal System U.S. Supreme Court Courts of STATE: Specialized U.S. Circuit Courts Jurisdiction of Appeal Supreme Ct. Federal District Court of Administrative Court Appeals Law Courts Trial Court

3. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT 1.Powers -over state courts -judicial review -agenda control 2.Limitations on the Court 3.Ways to enhance effectiveness 4.The structure of the session 5.Interest groups and the Court