Voting Blocs and the Freshman Justice On State Supreme Courts

Research has been completed on the "freshman effect" within the U.S. Supreme Court (Baugh 1989; Heck 1979; Heck and Hall 1981; Howard 1965; Melone 1990; Rubin and Melone 1988; Scheb and Ailshie 1985; Synder 1958; Ulmer 1965). The hypothesis, developed in Snyder's (1958) research on the U.S. Supreme Court, asserts that new justices manifest three types of behavior: bewilderment concerning new duties; a lower level of opinion writing when compared to senior justices; and, a tendency to vote initially with a pivotal or centrist "clique," joining liberal or conservative blocs only later in their careers (Baugh 1989; Heck and Hall 1981; Melone 1990; Rubin and Melone 1988; Scheb and Ailshie 1986; Synder 1958). All the characteristics are important to understanding freshman behavior. However, bloc voting affects decisional outcome. Therefore, the third dimension of the freshman effect captures our attention and becomes the focus of this article.

[1]  M. Hall,et al.  Order in the Courts: a Neo-Institutional Approach to Judicial Consensus , 1989 .

[2]  L. Baum.  American Courts: Process and Policy , 1986 .

[3]  T. G. Walker,et al.  The Diversification of the Federal Bench: Policy and Process Ramifications , 1985, The Journal of Politics.

[4]  M. Jennings,et al.  Social Roles and Political Resources: An Over-Time Study of Men and Women in Party Elites , 1981 .

[5]  M. Hall,et al.  Bloc Voting and The Freshman Justice Revisited , 1981, The Journal of Politics.

[6]  J. Gibson.  Personality and Elite Political Behavior: The Influence of Self Esteem on Judicial Decision Making , 1981, The Journal of Politics.

[7]  S. Mezey.  Support for Women's Rights Policy , 1978 .

[8]  J. Gibson.  Judges' Role Orientations, Attitudes, and Decisions: An Interactive Model , 1978, American Political Science Review.

[9]  J. Gibson.  Discriminant Functions, Role Orientations and Judicial Behavior: Theoretical and Methodological Linkages , 1977, The Journal of Politics.

[10]  Don Brownlee.  The Supreme Court as a Small Group. , 1975 .

[11]  Brennan,et al.  The National Court of Appeals: Another Dissent , 1973 .

[12]  J. Tanenhaus,et al.  The study of public law , 1972 .

[13]  M. Feeley.  Another Look at the "Party Variable" in Judicial Decision-Making: An Analysis of the Michigan Supreme Court , 1971, Polity.

[14]  J. Silberman,et al.  The Political Party Variable: Workmen's Compensation Cases in the New York Court of Appeals , 1971, Polity.

[15]  John D. Sprague.  Voting patterns of the United States Supreme Court : cases in federalism, 1889-1959 , 1969 .

[16]  J. Grossman.  Voting Patterns of the United States Supreme Court: Cases in Federalism 1889–1959. By John D. Sprague. (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1968. Pp. 164. $6.50.) , 1969, American Political Science Review.

[17]  D. Adamany.  The Party Variable in Judges' Voting: Conceptual Notes and a Case Study , 1969, American Political Science Review.

[18]  R. D. Schwartz,et al.  Quantitative Analysis of Judicial Behavior. , 1960 .

[19]  Eloise C. Snyder.  The Supreme Court as a Small Group , 1958 .

[20]  F. Frankfurter.  Supreme Court in the Mirror of Justices , 1957 .