The Influence of Religion on Judicial Decision Making
Open Access
- Author:
- Edwards, Bradley
- Area of Honors:
- Political Science
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Michael J Nelson, Thesis Supervisor
Matthew Richard Golder, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Religion
Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
Judicial Decision Making - Abstract:
- How does Religion influence Judicial Decision Making? Existing studies argue whether or not judges truly vote impartially or are influenced by factors such as ideology, gender, race, and religion. I argue that, compared to the many studies which focused on the other factors, religion predominantly influences the way judges make decisions in court. More specifically, I believe judges will vote in support of litigants of the same religious affiliation. Using two databases I have created examining both the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals, I test this theory. The results suggest that there is a strong relationship between Supreme Court Justices’ religious backgrounds matching that of the litigants’ and their decision to support the litigant. However, the results showed no evidence of this relationship at the Court of Appeals level. These results have implications for our understanding of the judicial system and the way in which judges make decisions. I hope this study sparks a dialogue that forces us to examine our assumptions about the judicial system.
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