The penalization of crime and the provision of social and economic order through the development and application of policies that resolve disputes among citizens, businesses, and governments are crucial activities for state and local governments. This chapter reviews scholarly studies of how state and local courts of general, limited, and special jurisdiction deliver these public services. With attention to the agenda, procedures, personnel, and outcome of the operations of local courts and the state and local institutions that assist the courts, the chapter addresses what is known about the influence of politics on their activities and their reciprocal influence on state and local politics. Special consideration is devoted to the limitations of the multidisciplinary studies of the behavior and political function of these institutions.
