The Gatekeepers: Federal District Courts in the Political Process

(Hardback)

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There are more than 600 Federal district judges serving today, and they decide some 230,000 civil cases each year. About 90% of the decisions they reach are final. Lyles argues that these lower court judges not only influence the flow of information to the judicial hierarchy, but they formulate questions that influence how higher courts, including the Supreme Court, respond. As such they are key elements in the formulation and implementation of public policy. To cite a few examples, they desegregate school districts, run mental institutions and prisons, break up monopolies, and reapportion legislatures. Lyles begins by examining the structure and function of federal courts and detailing the history, operation, and purpose of the district courts. He then turns to the selection, nomination, and appointment of district judges. Lyles then analyzes the extent to which presidents might advance policy objectives through their judicial appointments to the district courts. After examining how African-American, Latino, and white judges, male and female, view their roles as policy actors, Lyles concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study. Important for students and scholars of contemporary public policy and the court system.

Reviews

"The overall strengths of this book include the author's use of the fresh data taken from the National District Court Judge Survey which he carefully collected while serving as a Post Doctoral Fellow at Stanford University. The data set is truly a major contribution in the Public Law realm....Another strength of the book is Lyles' highly competent and careful analysis. He has an accurate and keen understanding of the judicial selection process, and the conclusions he comes to based on his empirical findings seem fair and reasonable....[T]he text is well written in terms of syntax and style, and the selected bibliography at the end will prove useful to scholars and students alike. The book warrants reading by all scholars in the public law realm, and by attorneys and members of the judiciary's "attentive public" who are interested in the relationship between courts and public policy."-The Law and Politics Book Review
Kevin L. Lyles has done an admirable job in analyzing the role of the federal district courts. He has developed a work that raises a number of interesting questions about these courts....The author's style of writing makes it easy to understand the material presented in the book. Assuming one has a modest background in the subject of American government, it should be relatively easy to grasp the main points made by the author. The work will therefore be appreciated by various individuals who are associated with a wide variety of academic backgrounds. In addition, those individuals who specialize in analyzing the formulation of public policy resulting from the judiciary will be especially interested in this book.-The Journal of Politics
Lyles has prepared an excellent volume on a subject that is increasingly receiving greater attention by public law scholars: decision-making by federal district judges....The book is clearly written and contains an excellent bibliography.-Choice
The overall strengths of this book include the author's use of the fresh data taken from the National District Court Judge Survey which he carefully collected while serving as a Post Doctoral Fellow at Stanford University. The data set is truly a major contribution in the Public Law realm....Another strength of the book is Lyles' highly competent and careful analysis. He has an accurate and keen understanding of the judicial selection process, and the conclusions he comes to based on his empirical findings seem fair and reasonable....[T]he text is well written in terms of syntax and style, and the selected bibliography at the end will prove useful to scholars and students alike. The book warrants reading by all scholars in the public law realm, and by attorneys and members of the judiciary's "attentive public" who are interested in the relationship between courts and public policy.-The Law and Politics Book Review
"Kevin L. Lyles has done an admirable job in analyzing the role of the federal district courts. He has developed a work that raises a number of interesting questions about these courts....The author's style of writing makes it easy to understand the material presented in the book. Assuming one has a modest background in the subject of American government, it should be relatively easy to grasp the main points made by the author. The work will therefore be appreciated by various individuals who are associated with a wide variety of academic backgrounds. In addition, those individuals who specialize in analyzing the formulation of public policy resulting from the judiciary will be especially interested in this book."-The Journal of Politics
"Lyles has prepared an excellent volume on a subject that is increasingly receiving greater attention by public law scholars: decision-making by federal district judges....The book is clearly written and contains an excellent bibliography."-Choice

Author Bio

KEVIN L. LYLES is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.