Instructor: Virginia Hettinger

Judges in the United States are selected through a variety of mechanisms. (Some are elected. Some are appointed.)
Judges in the United States serve for different periods of time. (Some enjoy life tenure. Some have fixed terms.)
Does any of this matter? Do judges behave differently if they are elected to fixed terms? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Does the public care if judges campaign like other politicians?

This class explores how political scientists are trying to answer these questions, and you will have a part in trying to discover some of those answers! You will read the most current research in this area of political science. You will examine new evidence and new data.

This is a great opportunity to find out what goes into creating a research project. How do political scientists form research questions? What are different ways of answering those questions? How can I begin thinking about questions for my own research?

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