Describe the background of your case: the plaintiffs, the story, and how the case got to the Supreme Court.

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 politic campaigns and elections. Discuss how the two parties used issues pertaining to this case  in their campaigns in 2020.
 Illustrate public opinion on this issue using recent polls.
Resources:
The Oyez Project
http://www.oyez.org/
SCOTUS Blog

Home

Cornell University Law School
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/home
Reminders:
Use quotes only when doing so will improve the paper. Do not use quotes for large sections of
explaining something that you can put into your own words. Quotes are helpful when they
illustrate something someone has said, such as a politician or a Supreme Court justice.
ALWAYS cite your sources, even if you have rephrased something in your own words. You may
use footnote citations if you choose to do so.

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