Court structural reforms produce diverse and often unanticipated governance effects

Evidence

Some reforms—for instance, the creation of the federal courts of jurisdictional appeals—have undoubtedly produced a more efficient administration of justice. The verdict on others, among them state court consolidation, is less clear. What is clear, however, is that structural changes have had diverse—and at times unanticipated—effects on the role that courts play in governing. As burgeoning caseloads prompt renewed calls for reform, wise reformers will keep in mind the broader effects that their efforts to alleviate caseload pressures might produce. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 459

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to ch8 claims about courts lacking power to dictate policy and depending on political support — structural reform feeds caseload and governing role. — connects to: Due process has content that shifts with time, place, and circumstance; Judicial decisions result from attitudes, role conceptions, and institutional constraints interacting together. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1286; Technological change forces courts to extend old statutes to unanticipated situations. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1421 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Court structure shapes which policy issues a supreme court can address. #expands (0.88) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 441