More Canvas Readins

- “The Impeachment of Samuel Chase” - "Introduction" to Bartee's Cases Lost, Causes Won - "Organized Interests and Agenda-Setting in the U. S. Supreme Court," Gregory Caldeira and John R. Wright

Who was Samuel Chase? Why was he impeached by the House of Representatives?

• one of the early justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

• He was impeached by Congress for being to political; and to biased/partisan towards Federalist group in his

Why was his acquittal in the impeachment trial significant for the development of the judiciary?

• His acquittal was significant because it helped establish the principle of judicial independence.

• When the Senate refused to remove Samuel Chase, it set the precedent that judges cannot be removed simply for political disagreements or unpopular decisions. Instead, impeachment would require actual criminal or serious misconduct.

• Term: Judicial Independence — the idea that judges should be free from political pressure so they can interpret the law fairly and independently.

(Bartee’s article) What are the checks and balances related to the U. S. Supreme Court?

• The President (appointments),

• The Senate (confirmation),

• Congress (impeachment and structure) (determine what cases SC hears and # of justices)

• And the amendment process (Congress and states can pass amendments to overturn SC decisions)

According to Calderia & Wright, how do interest groups affect the case selection process of the Supreme Court?

Interest groups affect the Court’s agenda-setting process primarily through:

1⃣ Filing Amicus Curiae (“Friend of the Court”) Briefs

• Groups signal that a case is important by submitting amicus briefs at the certiorari (case selection) stage.

• The more interest group involvement a case has, the more likely the Court is to grant review.

2⃣ Signaling Political and Legal Importance

• Interest groups act as “information providers.”

• Their participation tells justices that a case has broader legal, social, or political consequences beyond the individual dispute.

3⃣ Increasing the Probability of Review

Caldeira and Wright’s research shows that cases supported by organized interests are significantly more likely to be placed on the Court’s docket.

What are amicus curiae briefs?

“friend of the court”: a written document submitted to the Court by a person or organization that is not directly involved in the case, but has a strong interest in its outcome

What is cue theory?

suggests that justices use signals—or “cues”—to help decide which cases deserve review.

Because the Supreme Court receives thousands of petitions each year, the justices cannot fully investigate every case. Instead, they rely on indicators that signal importance.

Examples of cues:

• Multiple amicus curiae briefs

• Support from well-known interest groups

• Conflicts between lower courts