Judicial Selection - The Social Scientists' View (From Symposium on Judicial Reform, Philip L Dubois, ed. - See NCJ-84719)

• NCJ Number: 84724
• Journal: Policy Studies Journal Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: (June 1982) Pages: 726-734
• Author(s): M L Volcansek
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This paper is an assessment of the contributions which social scientists have made to the debate on the most appropriate mode for selecting state judges.

Abstract

Specific analyses of the assumptions behind differing normative positions governing judicial selection (e.g., accountability versus independence) are discussed. Considerable empirical research has been completed on elective and Missouri Plan systems. It is suggested, however, that more definitive conclusions might be possible through cross-system analysis. The methodological barriers to effective comparisons among the systems are high, but that area of inquiry appears to offer the potential for social scientists to make a significant policy contribution. (Author abstract)