Spring 2011

America's Death Penalty

Listed in: Colloquia, as COLQ-34

Faculty

Austin D. Sarat (Section 01)

Description

The United States, almost alone among constitutional democracies, retains death as a criminal punishment.  It does so in the face of growing international presssure for abolition and of evidence that the system for deciding who lives and who dies is fraught with error.  This seminar is designed to expose students to America's death penalty as a researchable subject.  It will be organized to help students understand how research is framed in this area, analyze theories and approaches of death penalty researchers, and identify open questions and most promising lines of future research.  It will focus on the following dimensions of America's death penalty:  its history, current status, public support/opposition, the processing of capital cases in the criminal justice system, race and capital punishment, and its impact and efficacy.  During the seminar, each student will develop a prospectus for a research project on America's death penalty.

Limited to 6 sophomores.  Spring semester.  Professor Sarat.

If Overenrolled: determined by professor

Cost: $1.00 ?

COLQ 34 - L/D

Section 01
M 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM CLAR 100

ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
When the State Kills; Capital Pinishment and the American Condition Princeton University Press, 2001 Austin Sarat Amherst Books TBD

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2011