Judges and their audiences : a perspective on judicial behavior

Resource Information

The work Judges and their audiences : a perspective on judicial behavior represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Judges and their audiences : a perspective on judicial behavior

Title remainder

a perspective on judicial behavior

Statement of responsibility

Lawrence Baum

Creator

• Baum, Lawrence

Subject

• Judges -- United States
• Judicial process -- United States
• Law -- Psychological aspects

Language

eng

Summary

'What motivates judges as decision makers? Political scientist Lawrence Baum offers a new perspective on this crucial question, a perspective based on judges' interest in the approval of audiences important to them. The conventional scholarly wisdom holds that judges on higher courts seek only to make good law, good policy, or both. In these theories, judges are influenced by other people only in limited ways, in consequence of their legal and policy goals. In contrast, Baum argues that the influence of judges' audiences is pervasive. This influence derives from judges' interest in popularity and respect, a motivation central to most people. Judges care about the regard of audiences because they like that regard in itself, not just as a means to other ends. Judges and Their Audiences uses research in social psychology to make the case that audiences shape judges' choices in substantial ways. Drawing on a broad range of scholarship on judicial decision-making and an array of empirical evidence, the book then analyzes the potential and actual impact of several audiences, including the public, other branches of government, court colleagues, the legal profession, and judges' social peers. Engagingly written, this book provides a deeper understanding of key issues concerning judicial behavior on which scholars disagree, identifies aspects of judicial behavior that diverge from the assumptions of existing models, and shows how those models can be strengthened."--Publisher's website

Cataloging source

DLC

Dewey number

347.73/14

Index

index present

LC call number

KF8775

LC item number

.B378 2006

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography