Professor Jeb Barnes analyzes the changing role of courts in U.S. politics
In the wake of recent Supreme Court terms with controversial decisions on presidential immunity, abortion and other hot-button issues, public trust in the court sits at historic lows.
New USC research, published in The Forum, reveals that the current discontent is tied to a bigger shift — and irony — in U.S. politics: The legal strategies once used to advance liberal causes are now being wielded by conservatives and others to block progressive policy in climate change and housing.
USC News spoke with Jeb Barnes, a professor of political science at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and co-author of The Forum paper, for insights into how these judicial tools have evolved and what this means for the future, especially in the lead-up to the November election.