This is a draft of the editor’s Introduction to Precedent in the United States Supreme Court, a forthcoming contributed volume to be published in early 2014 as part of Springer’s Ius Gentium series in comparative law. The book explores central normative and descriptive questions relating to the United States Supreme Court’s faithfulness, or lack of faithfulness, to its own constitutional precedents. The contributions are likely to interest not only American observers of the Court, but also participants and scholars in other systems featuring common-law elements or the institution of constitutional judicial review. Contributors include Larry Alexander, Neal Devins, Deborah Hellman, Randy J. Kozel, Chad M. Oldfather, Christopher J. Peters, Frederick Schauer, Colin Starger, and Maxwell L. Stearns.