The psychology of the Supreme Court

Bibliographic Information

The psychology of the Supreme Court

Lawrence S. Wrightsman

(American Psychology-Law Society series)

Oxford University Press, c2006

  • : hbk

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 277-298) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

With the media spotlight on the recent developments concerning the Supreme Court, more and more people have become increasingly interested in the highest court in the land. Who are the justices that run it and how do they make their decisions? The Psychology of the Supreme Court by Lawrence S. Wrightsman is the first book to thoroughly examine the psychology of Supreme Court decision-making. Dr. Wrightsman's book seeks to help us understand all aspects of the Supreme Court's functioning from a psychological perspective. This timely and comprehensive work addresses many factors of influence, including the background of the justices, how they are nominated and appointed, the role of their law clerks, the power of the Chief Justice, and the day-to-day life in the Court. Dr. Wrightsman uses psychological concepts and research findings from the social sciences to examine the steps of the decision-making process, as well as the ways in which the justices seek to remain collegial in the face of conflict and the degree of predictability in their votes.

Table of Contents

  • 1. The Supreme Court: The Least Understood Branch
  • 2. The Selective Nature of Supreme Court Justices
  • 3. Steps in the Decision-Making Process
  • 4. Day to Day in the Life of the Court
  • 5. A Psychological Analysis of Decision Formation
  • 6. The Rational-Choice Model in Judicial Decision Making
  • 7. The Bush v. Gore Decision
  • 8. How Individual Justices Affect Decisions
  • 9. The Chief Justice: More Influential than Other Justices?
  • 10. Can the Court's Decisions Be Predicted?
  • 11. Evaluating the Process
  • References
  • Index

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