Work

Redistricting and Party Loyalty in the State Supreme Courts

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In this research, we examine redistricting plan review by state supreme courts to determine what factors influence party-aligned voting in judicial decisions. We analyze whether judicial selection systems matter, as well as the ideological extremism of judges. Our judge-level data includes votes on redistricting cases heard across the American states from 1961 to 2022. We find that judges who are ideologically extreme are more likely to cast party-aligned votes, but only when selected by appointment with life tenure or by partisan elections.

Source: Journal of Law and Courts

DOI: 10.1017/jlc.2025.6

Authors: Teena Wilhelm, Garrett VandeKamp, Austin Petrie, Karson Pennington Ray

Institutions: University of Georgia, University of South Carolina

Language: English

Topic: Judicial and Constitutional Studies

Subfield: Law

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550