Greg Goelzhauser (Utah State University – Department of Political Science) has posted Does Merit Selection Work? Evidence from Commission and Gubernatorial Choices (Forthcoming, Journal of Law & Courts) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Does merit selection work? Existing evidence on institutional performance compares outcomes of interest across selection mechanisms, which does not account for the two-stage process that makes merit selection unique. Using information obtained from public records requests, this article analyzes the determinants of commission and gubernatorial selections from relevant candidate pools. The evidence suggests that although commissions and governors seem to select on certain qualifications, women are disadvantaged at the commission stage and partisanship is relevant at both stages. The results have important implications for our understanding of merit selection's institutional performance and the broader judicial selection debate.
Recommended.