Presidents differ sharply in how much ideological screening they apply to judicial nominees
Evidence
President Clinton appointed 305 district judges and 61 appeals court judges during his two terms. However, he did not view these appointments as a major part of his policy agenda and placed less emphasis on appointing ideologically compatible judges than his predecessors had. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 493
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Judicial merit is necessary but never decisive in federal appointments. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 460; Presidents must balance confirmability against ideological purity when choosing nominees; Ideology has replaced patronage in appeals court selection since recent decades (+9 more)
Broader Connections
- Sitting justices rarely change views, so screening nominees works
#expands(0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 540 - Judges bring consistent long-established political views to the bench
#corroborates(0.80) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2572 - The ABA’s unofficial pre-screening role in judicial selection waxed and waned with presidential politics.
#exemplifies(0.78) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 681