The Supreme Court

Tom S. Clark is Charles Howard Candler Professor of Political Science at Emory University, Atlanta. His research focuses on judicial decision-making and his recent work has focused on the development of law. His first book, The Limits of Judicial Independence (Cambridge, 2010), won the William Riker Award for the best book in political economy from the American Political Science Association.

• 1. The history of constitutional law: inside and outside; 2. Modeling constitutional doctrine; 3. An empirical model of constitutional decision making; 4. The cases, votes, and opinions; 5. Patterns in constitutional law; 6. From civil war to regulation and federal power; 7. War, security, and culture clash; 8. Conclusion.

'… this excellent book is positioned to significantly influence the path of future scholarship. First, it stands out as a model of how rigorous social scientific methods can enhance a detailed historical treatment of decision making on the Supreme Court. Clark also shines a spotlight on the question of how constitutional decision making may play out in an increasingly polarized political system - both external to the Court and among the justices themselves.' Patrick C. Wohlfarth, Law and Politics Book Review