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Judicial Independence and Opinion Clarity on State Supreme Courts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Greg Goelzhauser  and
Damon M. Cann
Greg Goelzhauser*
Affiliation:
Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
Damon M. Cann
Affiliation:
Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
*
Greg Goelzhauser, Department of Political Science, Utah State University, 0725 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA. Email: greg.goelzhauser@usu.edu
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Abstract

We contribute to the literature on judicial independence and performance in the states by analyzing opinion clarity. Written opinions are the primary means of communication for state supreme court justices, and clarity is a core component of judicial performance. Using automated text analysis on a sample of state supreme court opinions from all 50 states, we find that variation in judicial retention systems is not associated with substantively meaningful differences in opinion clarity. Furthermore, elected judges do not seem to produce clearer opinions in salient cases notwithstanding the increased public visibility of those decisions. These results suggest that judges tend to conform to prevailing professional norms despite differing institutional pressures.

Keywords

electionspolitical behaviorjudicial electionsjudicial politicsjudicial behaviorcomparative courtspublic policy
Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 123 - 141
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2014

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