Kennedy v. Bremerton School District
For this paper you will be select a recently decided Supreme Court case relevant to major questions in America politics from the list of cases provided below.
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. 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:
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.
If the case has been decided: Explain the ruling, including a description of the written opinion and dissent. If the case has not been decided: explain the predictions based on oral arguments.
Assess the implications of this decision for broader questions of civil rights or civil liberties
Describe how the issues of this case have factored into electoral politics—campaigns and elections. Discuss how the two parties used issues pertaining to this case (if they did) in their campaigns in 2020.
Illustrate public opinion on this issue using recent polls.
