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Presenter: Wyatt Falk

Faculty Sponsor: Martha Yoder

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Communication and Media Studies

Session: Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, Concourse, B7

ABSTRACT

Of the three branches of the American government, the judicial branch is the one whose role has changed most over its lifespan. What is or is not considered to be within the court's power has been redefined multiple times. I theorize that a significant component of what the judicial branch can do is determined by how the public perceives it. The main hypothesis of this research is that in the eyes of the public, the Supreme Court has usurped the role of the legislature, and as such has been given the power as if it were. Polling and other forms of public opinion will be the main form of research, but a scholarly background of the court throughout history will also be present. While there is plenty of legal research into the actions taken by the Supreme Court, this research seeks to take a more social approach to its role in the greater American society. As a result of this goal, more efforts will be put towards what people believe to be its powers over what powers it legally possesses. This research will hopefully allow for a wider picture of the recent changes in American political society. Both the executive and the judicial branches have been under public scrutiny, and by referencing historical views, we can better understand the situation we are in now.