reading for judicial reading research questions and conclusions

Means et al '“Before the Robe” Research question

What did they find about Black vs. white state court judges? (Give at least one specific difference, like class background, education, or religion.)B

Means et al '“Before the Robe” Conclusion

Black and white judges differ in deep-level diversity (class background, K-12 education, religious socialization, political upbringing)

Jeknic et al. ("Trump's Judges and Diversity") Research question

Did Trump's judicial appointments reduce demographic diversity on the federal bench, and if so, is this a rollback or regression to historical norms?

Jeknic et al. ("Trump's Judges and Diversity") Conclusion

Trump's appointees were 85% white, 76% male — breaking a 40-year bipartisan trend of increasing diversity. He appointed like "it is 1989" despite a much larger pool of qualified women and lawyers of color.

Lynch ("Conservative Ideological Drift of FS Justices") research question

Do Federalist Society justices drift ideologically over time, differently from non-FS Republican appointees?

Lynch ("Conservative Ideological Drift of FS Justices") conclusion

FS justices drift rightward (+0.05 Martin-Quinn points/year). Non-FS Republican justices drift leftward (-0.07). FS justices become more conservative over time, not less.

Rutkowski ("Constitutional Interpretation Styles") Research Question

Do Supreme Court justices employ identifiable interpretation styles, and do those styles predict voting outcomes?

Rutkowski ("Constitutional Interpretation Styles") Conclusion

Yes — interpretation styles (originalism, living constitutionalism) are real and predictive, not just rhetorical. They predict voting outcomes even controlling for ideology.

Miller ("Relationship Between Federal Courts and Congressional Judiciary Committees") research question

How do the House and Senate Judiciary Committees interact with federal courts across different historical periods?

Miller ("Relationship Between Federal Courts and Congressional Judiciary Committees") conclusion

Under Chairman Sensenbrenner (early 2000s), the House Judiciary Committee became "venomous" — advancing court-stripping, impeachment threats, and an inspector general for the judiciary. The Senate Judiciary Committee served as a "legislative graveyard" blocking most anti-court bills.

Scheb & Sharma ("Race and Death Penalty in Tennessee") research question

Does race of defendant or victim influence death penalty outcomes at the prosecutor charging stage and jury sentencing stage?

Scheb & Sharma ("Race and Death Penalty in Tennessee") conclusion h1

H1 supported: White victim increases likelihood prosecutor seeks death.

Scheb & Sharma ("Race and Death Penalty in Tennessee") conclusion h2

H2 not supported: Victim race does NOT predict jury death sentences once evidence quality is controlled. Racial bias enters at charging stage, not sentencing stage.