These Estimable Courts

Damon M. Cann is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Utah State University.Jeff Yates is Professor of Political Science at Binghamton University.

"In These Estimable Courts, Cann and Yates weave together two of the most interesting, innovative, and vibrant strands of contemporary scholarship on law and politics: attention to the powerful, policy-making role of state courts and attempts to understand the causes and consequences of the legitimacy of judicial institutions. They do so in a masterful, ground-breaking fashion, greatly pushing forward the frontiers of our understandings of how Americans viewtheir courts. Unquestionably, a must-read." -James L. Gibson, Washington University in St. Louis"In this important book, Cann and Yates use original data to examine citizens' views of their states' courts, an important area that has been understudied for too long. Their analysis is clear, comprehensive, and convincing. This book is a must-read for scholars interested in state courts and the relationship between courts and public opinion." -Chris W. Bonneau, University of Pittsburgh, and co-author of Voters' Verdicts and In Defense of Judicial Elections"While public attention may focus on federal courts, the preponderance of legal activity takes place in state civil and criminal courts. Informed by data, Cann and Yates advance our understanding of the complex relations between citizens and state courts. Future scholarship on public perceptions of state courts will need to engage with this important book." -Michael Heise, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School"To studies of state courts, These Estimable Courts adds an essential element: the views of the American public. This fascinating volume meticulously documents the nuanced ways in which Americans perceive state courts and judicial decision making, contradicting extant accounts of the impact of electing judges on judicial legitimacy. This important and thought-provoking work is sure to spark debate while offering intriguing new insights and is a must-read foranyone interested in state courts and linkages between citizens and the bench." -Melinda Gann Hall, author of Attacking Judges: How Campaign Advertising Influences State Supreme Court Elections"Damon Cann and Jeff Yates provide a welcome and pioneering exploration of the contours of public opinion about state high courts using new public opinion data and sophisticated and appropriate analytical techniques. This is a must-read book for judicial scholars and a worthy adoption for upper division undergraduate and graduate courses." -Paul Brace, Clarence Carter Chair in Legal Studies and Professor of Political Science, Rice University"Still, the authors have written an interesting and useful book. They have employed sophisticated techniques to explore their hypotheses, but their book remains eminently readable. Technical discussions are presented clearly and explored in more depth in appendixes." -M. M. Feeley, University of California, Berkeley

• List of FiguresList of TablesPrefaceChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Courts We Can Believe In Chapter 3: These Estimable Courts: How State Court Legitimacy is Perceived by Citizens Chapter 4: People in Robes Making Law: Citizens on the Bases of Decision Making Chapter 5: The Role of the Robe: Considering Courts as Policy Makers Chapter 6: Who Gets the Gavel? Citizens' Views on the Selection of Judges Chapter 7: "The Better Angels of Our Nature": On Court Legitimacy and Obeying the Law Chapter 8: Conclusion Appendix A NotesReferences Index