Andersen, Seth. “Examining the Decline in Support for Merit Selection in the States,” 67 Alb. L. Rev. 793 (2004).

December 20, 2011

This article briefly summarizes the recent decline in popular support for merit selection systems, offers explanations for this decline, and concludes that merit selection advocates can find renewed popular support by proposing approaches to merit selection that provide for greater public input during the nomination process and by continuing to highlight the influence of money and politics on judicial elections.

  • Judicial Election

    Judges are elected by popular vote.

  • Democratic Appointment

    Judges are appointed directly by a democratic body, or appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of some democratic body.