PSC 1113 1st Edition Lecture 23Outline of Last LectureI. Effects of Reality CourtsII. Supreme Court NominationsOutline of Current LectureI. Getting Nominated for the JudiciaryII. The BureaucracyCurrent LectureI. Getting Nominated for the JudiciaryA. Yalof’s variables shaping who gets nominated1. When during a presidency2. Composition of the Senate3. Public approval of the president4. Attributes of the outgoing justice5. Pool of viable candidatesB. How might presidents decide?1. Open Framework: open debate once vacancy arises2. Single Candidate Framework: have an idea in their back pocket3. Criteria Framework: know what you want from a potential justiceC. An increasingly public process1. Hearings started in 1873 and were open to the media in 19162. Since 1955, all nominees testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee3. Hearings televised since 19814. Result: have to consider who will be able to withstand media criticism and TV exposure5. Creates chance for senators to make a name for themselvesD. Outsiders step in1. Interest groups lobby2. Bar associations offer council3. Media increase scrutiny and coverage4. Legal research databases offer further insightE. Case of Clarence Thomas1. Liberal Justice Thurgood Marshall retires under a Republican presidentThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.2. Clarence Thomas becomes a conservative nominee chosen by a conservative president, could shift the ideology of the court3. Clarence Thomas is vague about positions on issues early in the hearings4. Surprise developments: accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace early in his career5. Clarence Thomas hearing a “high-tech lynching”6. Clarence Thomas confirmed 52-48. 1992 becomes the year of the woman in electoral politics due to increasing awareness of sexual harassment in the workplaceII. The BureaucracyA. Congress does not have the time, expertise, and ability to do everythingB. Agencies created with purpose, given authority to make policy
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