Hall, Melinda Gann. “Electoral Politics and Strategic Voting in State Supreme Courts,” 54 Journal of Politics 2, 427 (1992).(JStor)

December 20, 2011

This empirical study suggests that state supreme court justices who face competitive elections may vote in a manner consistent with constituent opinion even when their own views differ, and that single-member districts, experience seeking reelection, and narrow vote margins, among other factors, encourage such strategic voting.

  • 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.