New Law-Related Course (from the Institute for Politics and Strategy) will be offered in the spring 2018

84-363 Comparative Legal Systems

Professor Gio Altamirano Rayo

This course carries out a comparative study of the nature of courts and law, their position in political systems and the role of judges as political actors, and the potential of legal political institutions to impact society. The course is very theoretical and is organized around key themes and concepts, rather than historical detail on countries. We will examine the political and regime logic behind the origin of judicial power, competing theories about judicial decision making, the meaning and significance of judicial independence, and the potential effectiveness of courts as tools for social and political change.