Analyzing the Executive Authority of Judicial Appointment

Analyzing the Executive Authority of Judicial Appointment

PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY BY SELECTED

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, 2000–2011 (in percent)

African American
Obama 22%/Bush 7%

Hispanic
Obama 11%/Bush 9%

Asian American 
Obama 8%/Bush 1%

White
Obama 59%/Bush 82%

Women
Obama 46%/Bush 22%

Men
Obama 54%/Bush 78%


1. Presidents consider many factors when nominating candidates to the federal courts, and getting their nominees confirmed is often difficult.

 Part 1
(a) Using the statistics above, describe ONE similarity between President Barack Obama’s judicial appointments and those made by President George W. Bush.

(b) Using the statistics above, describe TWO differences between President Barack Obama’s judicial appointments and those made by President George W. Bush.

Part 2 (The Politics of Judicial Selection) pg. 512

(c) Explain why a president’s party affiliation accounts for differences in presidential appointments to the
judiciary.

(d) Describe one way a president can increase the chances of having judicial nominations to federal courts
confirmed.





2. Consider the following profile of Supreme Court Justice  Sonia Sotomayor to understand their ideological similarities to President Obama.
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117501/sonia-sotomayor-schuette-dissent-national-treasure

While reading:
What political opinions do these justices' express?
What is so important about Sotomayor's dissent language?
Is it written in accessible style rather than the wooden prose of the legal world?
Do these opinions reflect similarities to Mr. Obama's political views?

3. In what 3 facets do the Courts act as policy makers? (pg. 520)