Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College
Austin Sarat is interested broadly in the cultural and social life of American law. He is currently pursuing several lines of research, among are the American values and beliefs revealved by state killings. Sarat uses the death penalty as a lens through which to view ideas about responsibility and blame, pain and its proper uses, race and fairness, mercy and the possibilities of redemption. Sarat recently completed a book-length study of the decline of executive clemency in capital cases and a study of race and capital punishment in the United States.
Sarat's research also focuses on the cultural life of law or law in popular culture. He is now writing a book entitled Hollywood’s Law: What Movies Do for Democracy. This book examines movies about law from 1950 to 2000 in order to understand how these films contribute to the development of democratic citizenship.
At Amherst College, Sarat teaches an introduction to Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought and a first-year Seminar, Secrets and Lies, and a class about murder.
Harris and Pence dodge tough questions in VP debate – experts react
Oct 09, 2020 07:18 am UTC| Politics
Vice presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Mike Pence sat far apart and separated by Plexiglass for the only 2020 vice presidential debate, held in Utah on Oct. 7. Their exchanges were more civil than the presidential...
Could President Trump be impeached and convicted – but also reelected?
Oct 02, 2019 03:06 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The launching of an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trumps conduct has sailed America into largely uncharted waters. While there have been demands for the impeachment of many presidents, just three...
Is full transparency good for democracy?
Feb 08, 2018 13:03 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
With the approval of President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives released the so-called Nunes memo on Feb. 2. In it, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes describes alleged abuses of surveillance...
People keep voting in support of the death penalty. So how can we end it?
Jun 23, 2017 17:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law
Ending the death penalty in the United States wont be easy. After death penalty abolitionists slowly pushed toward its elimination for years, supporters of state killing have mounted a fierce effort in the courts and at...
There’s an extra $1 billion on the table for NT schools. This could change lives if spent well