AMERICAN POLITICS REVISION: AN EXAMPLE

This exercise is designed to give you an example about recent American politics that you can use in your exam. It is not a particularly well- known example. However, it is wide ranging and will have substantial effects in the future. It is also useful in explaining how politics relates to the law and how the separation of powers doctrine works in the USA.

This activity requires you to look into the implications and reasoning behind a recent Supreme Court ruling. Gonzales v Carhart

You need to answer the below questions. Explaining your example in as much detail as you can.

Your research will be aided by reading the annual survey of US politics: 2008.

See a summary of the Gonzales case and/or a full Gonzales v Carhart [2006] case note.

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1. What was the Gonzales v Carhart case about? Was it referring to one specific procedure?

2. What was the decision, who made it and how close was it?

3. Does the ruling in Gonzales v Carhart have any impact on other Supreme Court rulings? If so which ones?

4. Has there been any legislation passed recently that would influence the court's decision?

5. Why was partial birth banned in 2003, rather than in an earlier Congress?

6. What does this example show about recent changes in the US Supreme Court?

7. What does this example highlight about the links between Court, President and Congress?

Discuss your answers with the rest of the class.

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