Evolution of the Judicial Opinion or Congressional Elections

Evolution of the Judicial Opinion: Institutional and Individual Styles

Author: William Popkin

Read the Introduction

"There is no better book for conveying the hidden literary value in the judicial opinion of our time."
—Robert A. Ferguson, author of The Trial in American Life

In this sweeping study of the judicial opinion, William D. Popkin examines how judges' opinions have been presented from the early American Republic to the present. Throughout history, he maintains, judges have presented their opinions within political contexts that involve projecting judicial authority to the external public, yet within a professional legal culture that requires opinions to develop judicial law through particular institutional and individual judicial styles.

Tracing the history of judicial opinion from its roots in English common law, Popkin documents a general shift from unofficially reported oral opinions, to semi-official reports, to the U.S. Supreme Court's adoption in the early nineteenth century of generally unanimous opinions. While this institutional base was firmly established by the twentieth century, Popkin suggests that the modern U.S. judicial opinion has reverted — in some respects — to one in which each judge expresses an individual point of view. Ultimately, he concludes that a shift from an authoritative to a more personal and exploratory individual style of writing opinions is consistent with a more democratic judicial institution.

Read also Home Spa Feet or Inward Bound

Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in Washington

Author: Paul S Herrnson

About the Author:
Paul S. Herrnson is the director of the Center for American Politics and Citizenship and professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland

Table of Contents:

Tables and Figures     x
Preface     xiv
Introduction     1
The Strategic Context     6
The Candidate-Centered Campaign     6
The Institutional Framework     8
Political Culture     17
Campaign Technology     19
The Political Setting     21
Recent Congressional Elections     26
Summary     34
Candidates and Nominations     36
Strategic Ambition     36
Passing the Primary Test     51
Nominations, Elections, and Representation     57
The Senate     66
Summary     69
The Anatomy of a Campaign     71
Campaign Organizations     72
Campaign Budgets     83
Senate Campaigns     85
Summary     86
The Parties Campaign     87
National Agenda Setting     88
The National, Congressional, and Senatorial Campaign Committees     90
Strategy, Decision Making, and Targeting     96
Campaign Contributions and Coordinated Expenditures     99
Campaign Services     105
Independent, Parallel, and Coordinated Campaigns     116
The Impact of Party Campaigning     124
Summary     131
The Interests Campaign     132
The Rise of PACs and Other Electorally Active Organizations     133
Strategy, Decision Making, and Targeting     141
PAC Contributions     150
Campaign Services     154
Independent, Parallel, and Coordinated Campaigns     157
The Impact of Interest Group Activity     161
Summary     165
The Campaign for Resources     166
Inequalities in Resources     167
House Incumbents     169
House Challengers     180
Candidates for Open House Seats     187
Senate Campaigns     191
Summary     195
Campaign Strategy     196
Voting Behavior     196
Voters and Campaign Strategy     200
Gauging Public Opinion     202
Voter Targeting     205
The Message     209
Summary     219
Campaign Communications     221
Television Advertising     222
Radio Advertising     227
Newspaper Advertising     228
Direct Mail and Newsletters      229
Mass Telephone Calls     231
The Internet     232
Free Media     235
Field Work     240
The Importance of Different Communication Techniques     241
Independent, Parallel, and Coordinated Campaign Communications     243
Summary     244
Candidates, Campaigns, and Electoral Success     245
House Incumbent Campaigns     246
House Challenger Campaigns     252
House Open-Seat Campaigns     258
Senate Campaign     262
Claiming Credit and Placing Blame     265
Summary     271
Elections and Governance     272
The Permanent Campaign     272
A Decentralized Congress     275
Political Parties as Centralizing Agents     280
Responsiveness, Responsibility, and Public Policy     282
Summary     289
Campaign Reform     290
The Case for Reform     290
Obstacles to Reform     292
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002     294
The BCRA's Impact     298
Beyond the BCRA     303
Conclusion     312
Notes     315
Index      345
Notes Name Index     363