Bradley C. Canon is Professor of Political Science at the University of Kentucky. He received his Ph.D. from
the University of Wisconsin. He has published widely in the field of judicial impact, including works on judicial
activism and restraint and on state supreme courts.
Johnson, Charles : Texas A & M University
Charles A. Johnson is Professor of Political Science and head of the Department of Political Science at Texas
A&M University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. He has published books and articles
and presented papers about various aspects of the judicial process, including judicial behavior.
Summary
Arguing that judicial policies in the United States are substantially influenced by how the courts and other
political actors respond, authors Canon and Johnson employ a heuristic model of different populations and their
responses to judicial decisions as a means of: explaining the implementation of judicial policies as a political
process, examining the events that usually follow judicial decisions, and organizing the literature in the field.
The concluding chapter addresses the important question of whether the judiciary actually makes a difference in
the American political system. Canon and Johnson delineate examples where the courts have clearly had an impact
and those where they have had little influence.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1. Responses to Judicial Policies
Studying Responses to Judicial Policies
Roe v. Wade : A Case Study of Judicial Impact
A Model of the Implementation and Impact of Judicial Policies
Summary
Chapter 2. The Interpreting Population
Why and When Judicial Policies Must Be Interpreted
Discretion and Constraints in Interpreting Judicial Decisions
Interpretive Responses by Judges
The New Judicial Federalism
Factors Affecting Lower Court Interpretations
Summary
Chapter 3. The Implementing Population
The Judiciary and the Implementing Population
Implementing Groups as Organizations
Program Adjustments after Judicial Decisions
Summary
Chapter 4. The Consumer Population
Characteristics of Consumers and Consumption
Responses to Beneficial Decisions
Responses to Adverse Decisions
Summary
Chapter 5. The Secondary Population
Public Officials and Judicial Policies
Interest Groups and Judicial Policies
Media Coverage of Judicial Policies
Attentive and Mass Publics
Summary
Chapter 6. Judicial Impact Theory
Psychological Theories of Judicial Impact
Utility Theory : A Psychological/Economic Approach
Communications Theory
Organizational Theories
Environmental Theories
Summary
Chapter 7. The Impact of Judicial Decisions as Public Policy
Supreme Court Clashes with Other Branches
Other Courts as Policy Makers
Judicial Mobilization of Political Action
The Courts and Social Change
Summary
