The Choices Justices Make

by Jack Knight, Lee Epstein, Jack Knight, et al.

Book Overview

The Choices Justices Make is a groundbreaking work that offers a strategic account of Supreme Court decision making. Justices realize that their ability to achieve their policy and other goals depends on the preferences of other actors, the choices they expect others to make, and the institutional context in which they act. All these factors hold sway over justices as they make their decisions, from which cases to accept, to how to interact with their...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1568022263
• ISBN13: 9781568022260
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: CQ Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great Book, Great Condition.

This book came super fast. Has some usage but still in great condition. Thank you.

Invaluable account of the Court's internal dynamics

The basic accepted truth of modern political scientists (though not always lawyers) is that judges decide cases based primarily upon their policy preferences. The most extreme scholars argue that judges' decisions are based solely on this concern and no other. In their wonderful study, Epstein and Knight contend that this attitudinal model is too simplistic; it ignores that basic fact that justices must gather 5 total votes to enact their policy. This fact, they argue, requires justices to engage in strategic interaction that accounts for the choices of others and the institutional context. Thus, they study three different ideas: that justices' actions are directed toward attaining some policy; justices' are strategic; and institutions structure justices' interactions. Epstein and Knight test their contention through examination of the papers of various Burger Court justices. Their findings tend to support the strategic view of judicial behavior. What is important to remember, is that this book is not meant to be the end of the discussion, but rather the beginning. The authors candidly admit that this is meant to open up new avenues of judicial behavior research. This is a central text of modern political scientists and should be read by any serious student of the Court.