Influence of the Courts

The bureaucracy is responsible for proper implementation of public policy once it is enacted into law. The courts are responsible for interpreting the new law. This can impact how the law is applied and executed by the bureaucracy.

New laws that are not functioning as intended may be brought before the court for review. For example, the courts may help determine how a new law requiring airline passengers to be searched is carried out in daily life.

In doing so, the courts may consider whether or not the application of the law is fair, if it is enforceable, and if it is constitutional. Based upon the review, the court may make a variety of concrete recommendations, or mandates, to change and improve the law through policy implementation.


Go to the "Landmark Cases of the U.S. Supreme Court" website. Review the historical court cases on the website. As you do so, think about how Supreme Court rulings impacted the implementation of public policy through rules and regulations created by government agencies.

Consider how the courts influence the implementation of public policy based on their role as interpreter.

Explain how the courts influence the implementation of public policy.

Provide at least two specific examples to illustrate your explanation.

Support your work with specific citations from the Learning Resources. You are allowed to draw from additional sources to support your explanation, but you must cite using APA standards. All quoted material must be identified, cited, and referenced per APA standards.