Cart
Free Shipping in Australia
Proud to be B-Corp

What Justices Want Matthew E. K. Hall (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)

What Justices Want By Matthew E. K. Hall (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)

What Justices Want by Matthew E. K. Hall (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)


$17.19
Condition - Very Good
Only 1 left

Summary

This book proposes a new theory of Supreme Court behavior based on the assumption that justices' choices depend on who they are and what they want. Hall shows that Supreme Court justices strategically pursue multiple goals and that their 'big five' personality traits determine the relative importance of those goals.

What Justices Want Summary

What Justices Want: Goals and Personality on the U.S. Supreme Court by Matthew E. K. Hall (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)

The most sophisticated theories of judicial behavior depict judges as rational actors who strategically pursue multiple goals when making decisions. However, these accounts tend to disregard the possibility that judges have heterogeneous goal preferences - that is, that different judges want different things. Integrating insights from personality psychology and economics, this book proposes a new theory of judicial behavior in which judges strategically pursue multiple goals, but their personality traits determine the relative importance of those goals. This theory is tested by analyzing the behavior of justices who served on the US Supreme Court between 1946 and 2015. Using recent advances in text-based personality measurement, Hall evaluates the influence of the 'big five' personality traits on the justices' behavior during each stage of the Court's decision-making process. What Justices Want shows that personality traits directly affect the justices' choices and moderate the influence of goal-related situational factors on justices' behavior.

What Justices Want Reviews

'Professor Hall has produced a fascinating study of Supreme Court justices' personality traits that opens a new window on their decision-making. Using a sophisticated machine-learning model to assess the justices' written opinions, Hall identifies specific personality types and characteristics that ring true in many instances based on our own anecdotal experiences observing the Court. By blending psychological analysis with our current knowledge of judicial attitudes, Professor Hall's work makes a uniquely interesting and creative contribution to the literature.' Stefanie A. Lindquist, Arizona State University
'Using innovative data and appropriate methods to demonstrate the role personality plays in structuring judicial behavior, Hall does so much more than pose a challenge to existing accounts. He takes nothing short of a quantum leap in the quest to develop a deeper and more realistic conception of judging.' Lee Epstein, Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor, Washington University, St Louis
'Professor Hall makes a solid contribution to our knowledge. It links a leading theory in psychology to virtually every type of decision that has been modeled by quantitative research on the Supreme Court. It addresses an interesting and important topic and is methodologically sophisticated. Written in an engaging fashion, What Justices Want will be an important and lasting study.' Kevin T. McGuire, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
'... Hall's book is an impressive piece of work. Its insights are valuable for scholars, graduate students, and [*49] advanced undergraduates interested in Supreme Court dynamics and the practical implications of personality theory. The book did exactly what good books in the discipline are supposed to do: it made me think about how justices approach their tasks in an entirely different way. Hall is clearly pushing the envelope in the right direction.' Eileen Braman, Law and Politics Book Review

About Matthew E. K. Hall (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)

Matthew E. K. Hall is Associate Professor of Political Science and Law at the University of Notre Dame. He specializes in American political institutions with an emphasis on judicial behavior, elite personality, and policy implementation. His book The Nature of Supreme Court Power (Cambridge, 2011) won the C. Herman Pritchett Award for Best Book on Law and Courts from the American Political Science Association.

Table of Contents

1. Who they are and what they want; 2. Goals and personality; 3. Measuring justice personality; 4. Agenda setting; 5. Opinion assignments; 6. Intra-court bargaining; 7. Voting on the merits; 8. Separate opinions; 9. Behind the black robes; Appendices; Notes; Index.

Additional information

GOR012878478
9781108472746
1108472745
What Justices Want: Goals and Personality on the U.S. Supreme Court by Matthew E. K. Hall (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Cambridge University Press
20180823
224
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - What Justices Want