Inside The Supreme Court: How They Decide (we think)
Alison Gash is a political science professor and a Thomas F. Herman teaching award recipient at University of Oregon. She is the author of Below the Radar: How Silence Can Save Civil Rights and co-author of Democracy’s Child. You can find her work in media outlets such as Washington Post, Newsweek, Slate, Politico, and Washington Monthly, and on radio programs including Think Out Loud and The Takeaway.
Overview
Every year, the Supreme Court receives about 10,000 requests to render a decision, but only hears about 80 of them. While no one really knows exactly why some cases get heard but others do not, the Supreme Court Justices have several factors that they consider when deciding which cases to hear. Some involve conflicts of law, and some are chosen based on importance to the country. And some evidently reflect the special interests of one or more Justices. In this fascinating presentation, Professor Alison Gash outlines how decisions about decisions are made and how that might affect our perception of the Court.
Professor Gash gives an excellent talk on how she presumes the Justices approach their work and their thinking process. She presents some basic terminology on forensic parameters of the Courts thought processes. She gives an important disclaimer that much is unknown on how the Justices reach decisions and that her presentation is informed speculation, but nevertheless it is very interesting. Thank you, Professor Gash.