Party Messaging and the Supreme Court Nomination Process

• In Event: Politics of Federal Judicial Selection

Abstract

In an era of increased party control in Congress, what role do party leaders play in shaping the success or failure of judicial nominations? In this paper, I investigate the messaging strategies of both majority and minority party members about federal court nominees. To do so, I draw upon an original dataset of press releases issued by party leaders and individual Senators about Supreme Court nominees. I begin by showing how party leaders and ranking members on the Senate Judiciary Committee shape the messaging strategies that rank-and-file members employ when talking about Supreme Court nominees and obstruction of the nomination process. Second, I study the characteristics that influence the extent to which individual Senators adhere to or spurn the party line about nominees. Finally, I assess the consequences of party messaging for shaping public opinion about nominees and the nomination process. My findings illustrate the role party leaders play in driving the course of the Supreme Court nomination process; refine our understanding of the influence of elite messaging on public opinion towards judicial nominees; and contribute to our understanding of the importance of party unity in the modern Congress.

Author

• Andrew R Stone, Harvard University