Chief Justice Roberts and the Salience of Issues Before the Modern Supreme Court

Author

Anna Whisenant, University of Mississippi. Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors CollegeFollow

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Douglas Rice

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This thesis studies whether the Roberts Court has been hearing more important issues than the Warren, Burger or Rehnquist Courts. I operationalize important issues as pre-decision salience and measure mentions of cases in the first section of two newspapers. The research shows that the Roberts Court has been hearing more important issues than the other modern Courts. I reason that the Roberts Court has been hearing more important issues because interest groups and individuals are turning to the Court to make policy. Because the Court is becoming a more important policymaking institution, scrutiny of the Supreme Court will increase.

Recommended Citation

Whisenant, Anna, "Chief Justice Roberts and the Salience of Issues Before the Modern Supreme Court" (2016). Honors Theses. 87.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/87

Accessibility Status

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