Abstract: | Over the last several decades, the law governing access to federalhabeas corpus review has undergone a fundamental transformation,moving from a Warren Court approach that focused on individualrights to a Rehnquist Court approach that emphasizes deferenceto state courts. The enduring constitutional debate about thefederal system and the appropriate role of the federal courtsin that system has been at the heart of this transformation.This essay examines the leadership role of the U.S. SupremeCourt and the influence of other institutional actors, suchas the Congress, the executive, and the states, in the shapingof United States "constitutional dialogue" on this issue. |