Project Overview
Urban, Suburban, or Rural Origins of American Appellate-Court Judges
Department(s)
Geography
Abstract
In a representative democracy, it may be problematic if persons belonging to major societal groups are seriously under- or over-represented in the key personnel of the government’s major branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Though other dimensions of identity have been extensively investigated, the geographic diversity–specifically, the urban, suburban, or rural roots–of top appellate-court judges in the United States has not. We will begin by reviewing the relevant scholarly literature. We will then develop means for classifying judges’ geographic backgrounds and apply them to the current and past membership of the United States Supreme Court and of selected federal circuit courts of appeals and state supreme courts to see what patterns and trends emerge. Finally, we will explore whether and how these patterns have related to decisions on issues to which an urban, suburban, or rural background may be particularly salient.
Student Qualifications
No requirements, but previous relevant coursework would be a plus.
Project Length
8 weeks
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