Courts in Transition, Courts in Crisis

Session Submission Type: In-Person Created Panel

Session Description

How do courts respond to and impact political instability? From democratization, democratic backsliding, and violent conflict, courts are heralded as institutions that uphold democratic norms and offer protections from turbulent political environments; however, courts often become increasingly deferential to executive and legislative elites during times of crisis. This panel examines how courts respond to changes in the political environment and the extent to which courts can reduce democratic backsliding and promote peaceful democratization in dialogue with executive and legislative branches.

Sub Unit

• Division 26: Law and Courts

Individual Presentations

• Judicial Backsliding: A Guide to Collapsing the Separation of Powers - Lydia Brashear Tiede, University of Houston; Stephan Haggard, University of California, San Diego

• Judicial Decision-Making During Violence Conflict: A New Global Dataset - Onur Bakiner, Seattle University

• Madame Justice Will Save Our Democracy: Women and Bias in Transitional Regimes - Christopher Shortell, Portland State Universiy; Melody E. Valdini, Portland State University

• Making Militant Democracy Democratic: The Case for Legislatures - Austin Nelson, The University of Texas at Austin

Discussant

• Anthony James DeMattee Emory University