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The Student Side of the The Challenge of Democracy Site
Updated March 10, 2017

Internet Links for Chapter 14: The Courts

Chapter 14 covers the United States court system, which culminates in the Supreme Court-- the final decision-maker for controversial issues in the political process. These links provide new insights to the American judicial process.


Government Organization and Resources
U.S. Court System
The official page of the United States Courts designed specifically for use by students and teachers. This links to about everything that you want to know about the court system.
Supreme Court
This is the official home page of the United States Supreme Court. It links to everything that you want to know about the highest court in the land.
Oyez Project: Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court
The Oyez Project was created by and operated by Jerry Goldman, co-author of the Challenge of Democracy. Goldman describes it as "a multimedia archive devoted to the Supreme Court of the United States and its work. It aims to be a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court since the installation of a recording system in October 1955. The Project also provides authoritative information on all justices and offers a virtual reality 'tour' of portions of the Supreme Court building, including the chambers of some of the justices."
Supreme Court Justices' Ideology
"Ideology numbers are Martin-Quinn scores, developed by political scientists Andrew Martin (Washington University) and Kevin Quinn (Harvard University) to measure "the relative location of each U.S. Supreme Court justice on an ideological continuum.""
New York Times Interactive Ratings
"In nominating Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, President Trump chose a jurist who closely shares the conservative legal philosophy of Justice Antonin Scalia, the man whose seat he would fill if confirmed."
Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure
Supported by the National Paralegal College, which describes itself as providing "quality Internet-based education and training for students seeking careers in the paralegal field," this site deals with Protection from Unreasonable Searches and Seizures, Police Interogation, and more. It is wide-ranging with good examples.