The United States Supreme Court in the 21st Century

Register for this Fall 2022 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website.

Registration for this course will end on Thursday, September 8 at 11:59pm EDT to allow time for processing COVID-related requirements. If you want to register after this date, please contact the academic department at sps.all@nyu.edu to determine if an exception can be made.

This course examines America’s economic, political, religious, and social issues through the prism of influential and controversial Supreme Court cases and decisions in the 21st century. First we will review the major decisions of 2000 - 2019, then discuss the nominations and confirmations of former President Trump and the historic nomination by President Biden of the first Black woman to the highest Court. We continue with the major cases from 2019 to the present, especially the pivotal cases that broach some of the most contentious issues in American politics, including religion, guns, voting rights, and abortion. Since the Court’s approval rating is sinking to its lowest level ever (40%), we will critique changes being considered, including the Court’s role in the Constitution, the length of service of the Justices, and the size of the Court. We conclude with an analysis of whether Justice Amy Coney Barrett was correct when she bluntly declared that, "this Court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks." Questions? Contact us at The Center for Applied Liberal Arts (CALA). Email sps.cala@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289. Fall 2022 tuition is $699.

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