From Russia and Hungary to the United States and Canada, including Britain, France, and Germany, courts are increasingly recognised as political institutions that are important players in political systems. In addition, transnational courts such as the European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights are extending their reach and affecting more than ever the politics of member states. The book contains essays written by scholars of law and political science exploring in interdisciplinary fashion the relationship between law and politics in cross-national perspective, focusing principally on contemporary Europe.

WILLIAM G. BUSS O.K. Patton Professor of Law at the University of Iowa JEFFREY SEITZER Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Indiana University Northwest MARTIN SHAPIRO Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley SUSAN STERETT Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Denver ALEC STONE SWEET Professor of Political Science in the School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine