Böcker av Herbert M. Kritzer

What drives the process of how states select and retain judges? Using twenty-two detailed case studies, Kritzer examines how the competing goals of legal professionalism and politics influence decisions on choosing state court judges. This book will appeal to anyone interested in judicial and state politics, public policy, and law.

Justices on the Ballot addresses two central questions in the study of judicial elections: how have state supreme court elections changed since World War II? And, what effects have those changes had on election outcomes, state supreme court decisions, and the public's view of the courts? To answer these questions, Herbert M. Kritzer takes the broadest scope of any study to date, investigating every state supreme court election between 1946 and 2013. Through an analysis of voting returns, campaign contributions and expenditures, television advertising, and illustrative case studies, he shows that elections have become less politicized than commonly believed. Rather, the changes that have occurred reflect broader trends in American politics, as well as increased involvement of state supreme courts in hot-button issues.