Available Formats
Judicial Behavior and Policymaking: An Introduction
By (Author) Robert J. Hume
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
23rd January 2018
United States
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Central / national / federal government
Constitutional and administrative law: general
347.735
Paperback
264
Width 152mm, Height 229mm, Spine 11mm
318g
Judicial Behavior and Policymaking introduces students to the politics of judging, exploring why judges make the decisions they do, who has the power to influence judicial decision-making, and what the consequences of court decisions are for policymaking. Further, this text familiarizes students with the methods that professional political scientists use to conduct research about the courts, including the quantitative analysis of data. Designed for undergraduates and graduate students alike, this accessible and engaging text provides a thorough introduction to the world of judicial politics.
Hume presents a social-scientific take on the politics of judging. This brief volume focuses on empirical versus normative questions that are key to fostering an analytical approach to what we know about courts and judging. . . The supplementary primary source excerpts are the standard fare for judicial process textbooks. . . they provide solid applications of the concepts introduced in the text. The structure of the book is organized by social science theories, which provides an interesting frame for presenting concepts organically, on an as-needed basis. This makes the flow of the book superior to that of many similar texts. Although the book covers many of the basics, it occasionally assumes some prior knowledge. It draws more heavily from the perspective of political science than many similar texts, which makes it an important supplement to a more traditional text in courses on judging, judicial process, or law and society.
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.
Robert J. Hume is Professor of Political Science at Fordham University.