Court of Public Opinion: Government Accountability and Judicial Independence
35 Pages Posted: 21 Aug 2003
There are 2 versions of this paper
Court of Public Opinion: Government Accountability and Judicial Independence
Court of Public Opinion: Government Accountability and Judicial Independence
Date Written: June 2003
Abstract
This paper contributes judicial politics literature by analyzing the conditions under which the public's ability to hold the elected government accountable might enable courts to exercise independent authority over policy. Using a model of policy-making in a system characterized by formal separation of powers, judicial dependence on government support, asymmetric information between the voters and the government, and political accountability of the policy branch, I show the conditions under which the public will force the government to cede power to the courts. This formal analysis makes three contributions to the literature. First, the model provides a theoretical justification for, and suggests limits to, the common assumption that disregard for judicial decisions is politically costly for the elected branches. Second, the model suggests a systematic account for a number of empirical observations about judicial politics. Third, the model demonstrates how systems of unified or separated powers can emerge endogenously.
JEL Classification: K40, C72
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation