ARTICLE TESTS THE WIDELY ASSUMED PROPOSITION THAT THE GREATER THE ORIGINAL SUPPORT FOR A DECISION AT THE SUPREME COURT LEVEL, THE GREATER THE SUBSEQUENT COMPLIANCE BY THE LOWER COURTS. USING INDICES OF COMPLIANCE, EVASION, AND DISCORD BASED ON SHEPARD'S CITATIONS, THE ANALYSIS FAILED TO SUPPORT ANY OF THE HYPOTHESIZED RELATIONSHIPS.
An award-winning novelist, philosopher, essayist, screenwriter, professor and cartoonist, Charles Johnson has held numerous impressive titles over the course of his incomparable career. Now, for the first time, with his trademark wisdom and philosophical generosity, he turns his attention to his most important role yet: grandparent. In Grand, Johnson shares stories from his life with his six-year-old grandson, Emery, weaving in advice and life lessons that stand the test of time. "Looking at the problems I see in the world around me," Johnson writes, "I realize that there are so many things I want to say to him about the goodness and beauty that life offers. What are the perennial truths that I can impart to Emery that might make his journey through life easier or more rewarding?" Johnson shares these truths and more, offering profound meditations on family, race, freedom and creativity. Joyful, lucid and deeply comforting, Grand is Johnson at his most accessible and profound, an indispensable compendium for new grandparents and growing grandchildren alike, from one of America's most revered thinkers
Content analysis is used widely by judicial scholars to classify judicial decisions and opinions. Unfortunately, much of the existing research either ignores or is insensitive to the demands of this methodology, resulting in findings based on potentially faulty data. Content analysis techniques and standards are discussed in this article which would likely produce highly reliable data. A case study involving U.S. Supreme Court decisions is also presented to demonstrate these techniques and to discuss options for researchers when less than fully reliable data are produced.
This article analyzes citations used by the U.S. Supreme Court in its majority opinions. The research explores variations in citations and evaluates various explanations for these variations, including the potential impact of individual judicial style, legal factors, and group interaction in the formation of opinions. The article suggests that systematic analysis of citations holds potential for contributing to our understanding of the judicial process.
