The Supreme Court and labor policy: A rational choice perspective

The role that the United States Supreme Court has played in the development of public policy in general, and labor policy in particular, has been the subject of substantial research. Most of this research, however, has been mainly normative, with little attention been paid to the political context in which the Court operates. This dissertation attempts to address this allusive issue. A theoretical model is developed that accounts for the political environment in which the Court operates. This model assumes that the Court is a rational political actor which maximizes its utility by strategically selecting public policy outcomes. Data collected from Supreme Court labor relations opinions was used to empirically test the model. In general, the findings support the notion that the political context matters at the judicial level. An implication of this model is that alternative models are needed in explaining the behavior of the courts and in fully understanding the role that the Court plays in the American system of government.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Labor and Employment Relations

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Gely, Rafael

Contributors dc:contributor

• Henricks, Wallace

• Law
• Economics, Labor
• Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1992 Gely, Rafael

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9215813
(UMI)AAI9215813

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/19834