Professors John Ferejohn and Lewis Kornhauser
Fall 2013
Tuesday, 4:00-5:50 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Room 202
LW.10582.001
2 credits
The course will investigate a wide variety of topics ranging from the foundations of rational choice theory (an inquiry important to the evaluation of the use of the theory in understanding law) to applications to questions of immediate interest. Economists and political scientists have used the theory to investigate a number of topics of central interest to the law such as (a) how the organization of Congress affects the nature and content of legislation enacted; (b) the relation between courts and Congress; (c) Congressional and judicial control of administrative agencies; (d) federalism; and (e) the structure of adjudication.
Fall 2013 Schedule of Presenters
September 10
Dan Brinks (University of Texas, Austin, Government)
"New Courts for New Democracies: Reinventing Courts and Constitutions in Latin America Since 1975" (with Abby Blass, University of Texas, Austin, Government)
September 24
John Kastellec (Princeton University, Politics)
"Opinion Assignment and the Control of the Law on the US Courts of Appeals" (with Sean Farhang, University of California, Berkeley)
October 8
Deborah Beim (Yale University, Politics)
“Learning in the Judicial Hierarchy"
October 22
Scott Baker (Washington University at St. Louis, Law)
“Managing Reputation with Litigation: Why Legal Sanctions Can Work Better than Market Sanctions” (with Albert Choi, University of Virginia School of Law)
November 5
Stefanie Lindquist (University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs)
“Judicial Activism in State Supreme Courts: The Impact of Institution Design"
November 19
Tom Ginsburg (University of Chicago, Law)
“Innovation and Diffusion in Constitutional Rights”
December 3
Tom Clark (Emory University, Politics)
“Understanding the Cleavages of Judicial Decision Making: Multidimensionality on the US Supreme Court"
