Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings in the U.S. Senate

Reconsidering the Charade

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government
Cover of the book Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings in the U.S. Senate by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking, University of Michigan Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking ISBN: 9780472120277
Publisher: University of Michigan Press Publication: March 24, 2014
Imprint: University of Michigan Press Language: English
Author: Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
ISBN: 9780472120277
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication: March 24, 2014
Imprint: University of Michigan Press
Language: English

Critics claim that Supreme Court nominees have become more evasive in recent decades and that Senate confirmation hearings lack real substance. Conducting a line-by-line analysis of the confirmation hearing of every nominee since 1955—an original dataset of nearly 11,000 questions and answers from testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee—Dion Farganis and Justin Wedeking discover that nominees are far more forthcoming than generally assumed. Applying an original scoring system to assess each nominee’s testimony based on the same criteria, they show that some of the earliest nominees were actually less willing to answer questions than their contemporary counterparts. Factors such as changes in the political culture of Congress and the 1981 introduction of televised coverage of the hearings have created the impression that nominee candor is in decline. Further, senators’ votes are driven more by party and ideology than by a nominee’s responsiveness to their questions. Moreover, changes in the confirmation process intersect with increasing levels of party polarization as well as constituents’ more informed awareness and opinions of recent Supreme Court nominees.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Critics claim that Supreme Court nominees have become more evasive in recent decades and that Senate confirmation hearings lack real substance. Conducting a line-by-line analysis of the confirmation hearing of every nominee since 1955—an original dataset of nearly 11,000 questions and answers from testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee—Dion Farganis and Justin Wedeking discover that nominees are far more forthcoming than generally assumed. Applying an original scoring system to assess each nominee’s testimony based on the same criteria, they show that some of the earliest nominees were actually less willing to answer questions than their contemporary counterparts. Factors such as changes in the political culture of Congress and the 1981 introduction of televised coverage of the hearings have created the impression that nominee candor is in decline. Further, senators’ votes are driven more by party and ideology than by a nominee’s responsiveness to their questions. Moreover, changes in the confirmation process intersect with increasing levels of party polarization as well as constituents’ more informed awareness and opinions of recent Supreme Court nominees.

More books from University of Michigan Press

Cover of the book Bath Massacre by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Brandishing the First Amendment by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book When Informal Institutions Change by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book The President Electric by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book The Sound of Listening by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book The Causes of Human Behavior by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Embedded Politics by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Preaching to Convert by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Elections in Australia, Ireland, and Malta under the Single Transferable Vote by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Full Metal Jhacket by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Regulatory Barriers and the Principle of Non-discrimination in World Trade Law by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Kin of Another Kind by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Satiric Advice on Women and Marriage by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Monetary Divergence by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
Cover of the book Ruins by Dion Farganis, Justin Wedeking
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy