| At least since Robert Dahl's (1957) pathbreaking essay, "Decision-Making in a Democracy: The Supreme Court as a National Policy-Maker," political scientists have invested tremendous energy in exploring linkages between the Supreme Court and its environment. This dissertation joins those efforts by offering studies of three such paths of influence flowing from the judiciary. In turn, I investigate the effects of Supreme Court decisions on public opinion, the role of judicial review in legislative decision-making, and the responsiveness of the media's agenda to Supreme Court decision-making. In all cases, the evidence suggests that the Supreme Court's influence extends beyond the legal world and into the larger political system. |
