GOVT 60.24 Bias and Persuasion in the Legal System

This course uses social scientific research to understand the United States Legal System: the behaviors and incentives it creates, the way judges, attorneys, and juries make legal decisions and evaluate evidence. We will examine the ways in which human decision-making rises to the occasion and meets the aims of the justice system, and the ways in which we fall short. We will examine the biases inherent in human decision-making, the assumptions underlying the justice system (and whether they are supported by scientific evidence), the ways in which investigative and courtroom procedures may enhance or reduce the ability of human beings to execute the law free from bias and prejudice.

Instructor

Yontz

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