Going Public on Supreme Court Decisions

33 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2013

See all articles by Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha

Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha

University of North Texas

Paul M. Collins

University of Massachusetts Amherst - Department of Political Science

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

Although scholars have long studied why presidents “go public” on a host of topics, no research has specifically investigated presidential statements about Supreme Court cases. To examine this significant issue, we have cataloged the number of times presidents have commented publicly on Supreme Court cases from the Eisenhower to Obama administrations. We posit that presidents discuss judicial decisions primarily to assist in their pursuit of policy and reelection goals, and to enhance their historical legacy. Our empirical findings lend support to our expectations, revealing that reelection years, media attention to the Court’s decisions, and partisanship shape the volume of monthly presidential remarks on Supreme Court cases. Taken as a whole, this research contributes to our understanding of presidential speechmaking, executive-judicial branch interactions, and the methods presidents use to implement Supreme Court decisions.

Keywords: Presidency, Supreme Court, Going Public

Suggested Citation

Eshbaugh-Soha, Matthew and Collins, Paul M., Going Public on Supreme Court Decisions (2013). APSA 2013 Annual Meeting Paper, American Political Science Association 2013 Annual Meeting, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2300518

Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha (Contact Author)

University of North Texas ( email )

1155 Union Circle #305340
Denton, TX 76203
United States

Paul M. Collins

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

Thompson Hall
Amherst, MA 01003
United States

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