External Variables, Institutional Structure & Dissent on State Supreme Courts

Abstract

State judiciaries have not received their proper share of attention from political scientists. Although there have been signs of change in this situation, it remains true that we know much more about the United States Supreme Court than about any court or group of courts at lower levels. The study of state courts presents many obstacles, so that if the present attempt to find out a little about the rates of dissent and the reasons therefore is not definitive, one can hardly blame the authors. One hopes that they will continue along the present lines.