Laura Jenkins
Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science Department
Graduate Research Associate, Campbell Public Affairs Institute
Bio
I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate and University Fellow at
Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
My dissertation "Paradise Lost: The Effect of Judicial Review on
Congressional Debate" examines constitutional deliberation in Congress and
assesses how Congress changed how it debated the constitutionality of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in
National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012). My
dissertation finds that Sebelius decreased constitutional deliberation in
Congress over the ACA and changed the nature of congressional debate. After
Sebelius, members of both parties expressed their acceptance of the Supreme
Court’s decision. Conversely, before Sebelius members of Congress had advanced
their own interpretations of constitutional clauses. My dissertation
argues that the Supreme Court should not exercise judicial review in cases
where the other branches of government are already engaging in a robust
constitutional dialogue over the constitutional issues involved. Instead, the
Supreme Court should let the democratic processes play out regardless of the
outcome.
Areas of Expertise
Research Grant Awards and Projects
I am currently co-authoring a journal article on conceptions of "the people" that animated arguments for and against press censorship in 16th and 17th century England.