The Institutionalization of Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings

41 Law & Social Inquiry 126 (2016).

UGA Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2016-09

27 Pages Posted: 4 Mar 2016 Last revised: 14 Jun 2016

See all articles by Paul M. Collins

Paul M. Collins

University of Massachusetts Amherst - Department of Political Science

Lori A. Ringhand

University of Georgia School of Law

Date Written: March 2, 2016

Abstract

This article uses an original database of confirmation hearing dialogue to examine how the Senate Judiciary Committee’s role in Supreme Court confirmations has changed over time, with particular attention paid to the 1939–2010 era. During this period, several notable developments took place, including a rise in the number of hearing comments, increased attention to nominees’ views of judicial decisions, an expansion of the scope of issues addressed, and the equalization of questioning between majority and minority party senators. We demonstrate that these changes were shaped by both endogenous and exogenous factors to promote the legitimization of the Judiciary Committee’s role in the confirmation process and to foster the instrumental goals of senators. This research contributes to our understanding of the development of political institutions, interbranch interactions, and how institutional change affects the behavior of legal and political actors.

Keywords: Supreme Court, confirmation, Senate Judiciary Committee, testimony, judicial decisions, empirical study, hearings

JEL Classification: K19

Suggested Citation

Collins, Paul M. and Ringhand, Lori A., The Institutionalization of Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings (March 2, 2016). 41 Law & Social Inquiry 126 (2016)., UGA Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2016-09, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2741206

Paul M. Collins

University of Massachusetts Amherst - Department of Political Science ( email )

Thompson Hall
Amherst, MA 01003
United States

Lori A. Ringhand (Contact Author)

University of Georgia School of Law ( email )

225 Herty Drive
Athens, GA 30602
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
131
Abstract Views
1,867
Rank
392,634
PlumX Metrics