Case Selection and the Study of Judicial Politics (original) (raw)

Case selection plays a crucial role in studying judicial politics, particularly regarding the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a discretionary docket. The paper discusses the implications of selection bias on judicial behavior, emphasizing that the choice of cases affects observable patterns and potentially skews conclusions drawn about the Court's decisions. It also highlights that existing research designs often neglect the influence of this bias, which is essential for accurate model estimation and understanding judicial conduct.