Complex Justice: The Case of Missouri v. Jenkins (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: metropolitanwide busing plan, magnet plan, few magnet schools, Kansas City, Judge Clark, Supreme Court (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A premier case study of race and education in the 1980s and 1990s."
— Journal of Southern History

"A rich and well-researched recounting of one of the most significant judicial efforts at school desegregation--conveying the legal, political, and human dimensions of that saga. . . . Offers fresh insight into the important questions lying ahead for judicial policymaking, racial equality, and educational reform."
— Law and History Review

"A helpful explanation of where desegregation went awry. . . . Dunn writes with an economical and elegant style. . . . Both useful and pleasant to read."
— Missouri Historical Review

"Enlightening. . . . A highly informative and readable book that nicely blends legal and policy analysis. Complex Justice provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the historical, political, and social issues involved in Missouri v. Jenkins."
— Law & Politics Review

"A nicely written volume about a lesser-known case."
— Choice

Product Description

In 1987 Judge Russell Clark mandated tax increases to help pay for improvements to the Kansas City, Missouri, School District in an effort to lure white students and quality teachers back to the inner-city district. Yet even after increasing employee salaries and constructing elaborate facilities at a cost of more than $2 billion, the district remained overwhelmingly segregated and student achievement remained far below national averages.

Just eight years later the U.S. Supreme Court began reversing these initiatives, signifying a major retreat from Brown v. Board of Education. In Kansas City, African American families opposed to the district court's efforts organized a takeover of the school board and requested that the court case be closed. Joshua Dunn argues that Judge Clark's ruling was not the result of tyrannical "judicial activism" but was rather the logical outcome of previous contradictory Supreme Court doctrines. High Court decisions, Dunn explains, necessarily limit the policy choices available to lower court judges, introducing complications the Supreme Court would not anticipate. He demonstrates that the Kansas City case is a model lesson for the types of problems that develop for lower courts in any area in which the Supreme Court attempts to create significant change. Dunn's exploration of this landmark case deepens our understanding of when courts can and cannot successfully create and manage public policy.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (March 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807831395
• ISBN-13: 978-0807831397
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,440,855 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)