Perceptions of the Rule of Law: Evidence on the Impact of Judicial Insulation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether judicial insulation influences how individuals assess the rule of law. We employ panel data models using data collected by the World Bank to differentiate between two kinds of judicial insulation – designed and implemented. We find that while insulation (as designed) has no bearing on how individuals score rule of law strength, insulation (as implemented) increases individual assessments. Notably, we find that disappointment from unmet expectations – where institutional implementation falls short of design – negatively influences rule of law strength scores.

Keywords: rule of law, disappointment, comparative, state, country, world bank, insulation, judicial, de jure, de facto, perceptions, investment