Death Before Sentencing
Making a case for substantial prison reform, this week's review examines the lack of accountability American county and local jail systems take for the avoidable deaths of detainees.
Posted on in Review of the Week
The Conscientious Justice
Are Supreme Court justices single-minded policy makers or an amalgamation of reputation, experience, and personality?
Posted on September 21, 2020 in Review of the Week
The Conscientious justice: how Supreme Court justices’ personalities influence the law, the high court, and the Constitution
by Ryan C. Black et al Cambridge, 2020
358p bibl index, 9781107168718 $110.00, 9781316731833 $88.00
To say that this work is comprehensive would be an understatement, because in fact it takes a very deep dive into conscientiousness and the justices of the US Supreme Court. The result is a tome that upsets traditional political scientific theories that justices are either single-minded policy makers or strategic thinkers using their positions to ensure their desired policy choices. Black (Michigan State Univ.) and his fellow authors, all scholars of government and political science, suggest that factors such as law, reputation, and personality affect the actions of the justices. The authors begin quite logically with a review of the evolution of political science scholarship on judicial behavior and then thoroughly discuss their methodological approach. In subsequent chapters they apply their approach to the concerns and actions of justices, for example selection of cases (agenda setting); legal briefs and oral arguments; opinion assignment, bargaining, and content; treatment of precedent; and so on. This pathbreaking book should be read by anyone interested in the workings of the Supreme Court and its justices.
Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals.
Reviewer: M. W. Bowers, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – Political Science – U.S. Politics
Choice Issue: Dec 2020
Related Posts
-
-
Making the MexiRican City
To commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month, this week's review analyzes the community-building and activist practices Mexican and Puerto Rican migrants employed in 20th-century Michigan.
Posted on in Review of the Week
-
Understanding and Teaching Contemporary US History Since Reagan
This week's review offers a roadmap for teaching contemporary US history, providing instructors with tips to tackle recent divisive topics and engage students with primary sources.
Posted on in Review of the Week
-
Laboring for Justice
Researching the experiences of day laborers in Denver, Colorado, this week's review examines wage theft and nefarious labor practices that reflect broader systemic labor issues in the US.
Posted on in Review of the Week