| dc.description.abstract | The modern trend of appointing judges from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to
the U.S. Supreme Court is undeniable. As a near prerequisite to attaining a seat on the
bench, Justices from appellate courts have been appointed because of, among other
factors, perceived ideological consistency. Presidents seek to extend their legacies far
beyond their terms, and Senators seek to approve nominees with ideologies consistent
with their parties' political interests. In either case, the expectation is ideological
consistency. Ideological drift is a phenomenon well observed since the shift of
Justice Blackmun, but studies have not attempted to measure circuit court experience
and evaluate its relation to drift. The model here reasons that circuit court experience
does relate to less ideological drift, but finds that Justices with circuit court experience
actually drift more than Justices without this experience. These findings hold important
implications for the judicial selection process. | en |
