Electing Judges, James Gibson

James Gibson  (Political scientist, Washington University): “Electing Judges: The Surprising Effects of Campaigning on Judicial Legitimacy.” Do campaign activities in judicial elections – especially policy promises, the use of attack ads, and the possible conflicts created by campaign contributions – undermine perceptions of judicial legitimacy among the public? Professor Gibson will speak about the results of his empirical research on the impact of campaign activity on the popular legitimacy of the Kentucky Supreme Court. His research is based on a large survey of public opinion in Kentucky (funded by the National Science Foundation), with interviews conducted prior to, during, and after the 2006 elections. Professor Gibson’s research focuses specifically on the effects of campaign activities on legitimacy, but he also draws conclusions about the effects of judicial elections more generally on how people view and judge their courts.Co-sponsored with the Law School.