How have courts have shaped the American political economy?

In a new post at the Law and Political Economy blog, Kathleen Thelen and Brian Highsmith situate the recent Supreme Court decision striking down OSHA's workplace safety rule within the historical context of US courts advancing the deregulatory goals of organized business interests. They discuss how courts have shaped the American political economy, due in part to distinctive features of their design and role in our constitutional system, and suggest that legal scholars and comparative political economists have much to learn from each other. By studying American courts from a comparative perspective, Thelen and Highsmith argue, researchers can identify the broader institutional dynamics that may help explain recent rulings.