Running for Judge: The Rising Political, Financial, and Legal Stakes of Judicial Elections

by Matthew J. Streb

Overview

Across the country, races for judgeships are becoming more and more politically contested. As a result, several states and cities are now considering judicial election reform. Running for Judge examines the increasingly contentious judicial elections over the last twenty-five years by providing a timely, insightful analysis of judicial elections. The book ties together the current state of the judicial elections literature, and presents new evidence on a wide range of important topics, including: the history of judicial elections; an understanding of the types of judicial elections; electoral competition during races; the increasing importance of campaign financing; voting in judicial elections; the role interest groups play in supporting candidates; party organizing in supposedly non-partisan elections; judicial accountability; media coverage; and judicial reform of elections.
Running for Judge is an engaging, accessible, empirical analysis of the major issues surrounding judicial elections, with contributions from prominent scholars in the fields of judicial politics, political behavior, and law.
Contributors: Lawrence Baum, Chris W. Bonneau, Brent D. Boyea, Paul Brace, Rachel P. Caufield, Jennifer Segal Diascro, Brian Frederick, Deborah Goldberg, Melinda Gann Hall, Richard L. Hasen, David Klein, Brian F. Schaffner, and Matthew J. Streb.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814740972
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	07/01/2009
Pages:	253
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Matthew J. Streb is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northern Illinois University. He is the author or editor of several books including The New Electoral Politics of Race and Academic Freedom at the Dawn of a New Century: How Terrorism, Governments, And Culture Wars Impact Free Speech.

Table of Contents

List of Tables
List of Figures
Acknowledgments
1 The Study of Judicial Elections
Matthew J. Streb
2 First Amendment Limits on Regulating Judicial Campaigns
Richard L. Hasen
3 The Changing Tone of Judicial Election Campaigns as a Result of White
Rachel P. Caufield
4 The Dynamics of Campaign Spending in State Supreme Court Elections
Chris W. Bonneau
5 Interest Group Participation in Judicial Elections
Deborah Goldberg
6 Partisan Involvement in Partisan and Nonpartisan Trial Court Elections
Matthew J. Streb
7 Judicial Elections in the News
Brian F. Schaffner and Jennifer Segal Diascro
8 Voter Responses to High-Visibility Judicial Campaigns
Lawrence Baum and David Klein
9 Competition as Accountability in State Supreme Court Elections
Melinda Gann Hall
10 Judicial Selection Methods and Capital Punishment in the American States
Paul Brace and Brent D. Boyea
11 Judicial Reform and the Future of Judicial Elections
Matthew J. Streb and Brian Frederick
Bibliography
About the Contributors
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“One of the most important studies on the politics of judicial elections to date.”
-American Review of Politics

,

“Add to your ‘must read’ list . . . the essays in this book set clear benchmarks against which future developments in judicial elections can be systematically assessed.”
-Election Law Journal

,

“For anyone concerned about the independence of state court judges in the wake of recent trends and practices in judicial elections, add to your 'must read' list the book Running for Judge.”
-Election Law Journal

,

“Running for Judge is an important source of empirical data about judicial elections. Anyone who studies the topic should have a copy.”
-New York Law Journal

,

“Provides strong empirical support for that common knowledge that is gained from experience in the judicialarena. . . . A book that cannot be ignored.”
-Judicature

Editorial Reviews

"Provides strong empirical support for that common knowledge that is gained from experience in the judicialarena. . . . A book that cannot be ignored."

Judicature

For anyone concerned about the independence of state court judges in the wake of recent trends and practices in judicial elections, add to your ‘must read’ list the book Running for Judge.”
• Election Law Journal

“This book offers a variety of insights by professors across the country on issues that are becoming increasingly important in judicial elections. . . . The collection will interest scholars and students of federalism, judicial politics and state politics in general.”
• Campaigns & Elections

“The book does a wonderful job of bringing the different research projects together. All the chapters provide detailed and timely information in an effort to explain recent developments in judicial elections. . . . This is a comprehensive, well-written book.”
• Law and Politics Book Review

“ Running for Judge is an important source of empirical data about judicial elections. Anyone who studies the topic should have a copy.”
• New York Law Journal

From the Publisher

"This book offers a variety of insights by professors across the country on issues that are becoming increasingly important in judicial elections. . . . The collection will interest scholars and students of federalism, judicial politics and state politics in general."

Campaigns & Elections

"The book does a wonderful job of bringing the different research projects together. All the chapters provide detailed and timely information in an effort to explain recent developments in judicial elections. . . . This is a comprehensive, well-written book."

Law and Politics Book Review

"Running for Judge is an important source of empirical data about judicial elections. Anyone who studies the topic should have a copy."

New York Law Journal

"For anyone concerned about the independence of state court judges in the wake of recent trends and practices in judicial elections, add to your ‘must read’ list the book Running for Judge."

Election Law Journal