The fourth edition of this authoritative text has been completely updated through the 1991-1992 term. New material is presented on the Rehnquist Court, the Court's recourd on civil liberties, and the Clarence Thomas nomination. The text focuses on the Supreme Court, but also analyzes other federal courts and the entire court system. The Court's political roles are discussed first. The structure of the judicial system and the ways of selecting federal judges follows. A separate chapter is devoted to the role of lawyers and interest groups. The book concludes with an account of the impact of court rulings.