PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN TRIAL COURT ELECTIONS: Possibilities for Accentuating the Positive and Eliminating the Negative

A large part of the debate over state judicial selection has focused upon the lack of voter interest in and knowledge about judicial elections. This study investigates voter participation in the contested nonpartisan elections for California Superior Court judge from 1958–1978. Focusing upon the variations among and within the state's counties, the analysis attempts to assess the contributions of sociological, environmental, and institutional variables to the level of participation. An exploration of the policy implications of the findings suggests, among other things, that judicial elections in large metropolitan areas might well be abandoned and replaced with some system of gubernatorial appointment and reappointment of judges.     

Congressional Delegation of Spending Power to the Defense Department in the Post‐9–11 Period

The advantages of increased delegation of resource management authority by Congress have long been argued by defense leadership. It is an important issue because of its relevance to congressional assessment of defense management, budget priorities, and how to enforce policy preferences. This paper investigates the series of supplemental appropriations for the war on terrorism to determine (a) under what conditions, and how and why Congress delegates budget authority to defense, (b) what happened with respect to the degree of delegation after appropriation during budget execution, and (c) what this case teaches us about the evolving budgetary relationship between Congress and the Defense Department.