Question
The United States Supreme Court has nine justices serving. The outcome of any given case is determined by pairwise majority rule. The nine justices of
The United States Supreme Court has nine justices serving. The outcome of any given case is determined by pairwise majority rule. The nine justices of the 2019 court were: Chief Justice Roberts (R), Ginsburg (Gin), Thomas (T), Breyer (B), Alito (A), Sotomayor (S), Kagan (Kag), Gorsuch (Gor), Kavanaugh (Kav). Political scientists have suggested that these justices have ideal points that lie on a left-right ideological dimension. Their ideal points lie in the following order: T is to the right of A, A is to the right of Gor, Gor is to the right of Kav, Kav is to the right of R, R is to the right of Kag, Kag is to the right of B, B is to the right of Gin, and Gin is to the right of S. Researchers think thatnot only are these the ideal points of the justicesbut the justices have single peaked preferences. The court makes decisions by pairwise majority rule. 2a. (4 points) Who is the median voter in the 2019 court? Explain. 2b. (6 points) Would we ever expect to see a decision that was agreed to by Gor, Kag, B, Gin, and S (with the other justices disagreeing)? How does your answer relate to the Median Voter Theorem? (Side note: We have seen this configuration. See, e.g., United States vs. Haymond.) 2c. (8 points) With the passing of Justice Ginsburg, the 2021 court replaces Gin with Coney Barrett (CB). It is believes that A's ideal point is to the right of CB's and CB's is to the right of Gor's. Who is the 2021 median voter? How would we expect the social preference to change (relative to the 2019 court)? How does your answer relate to the Median Voter Theorem? 2d. (8 points) Many observers of the court noted that, in the 2019 court, Chief Justice Roberts' vote often determined the outcome of the case. Critical of one of the decisions, a media outlet argued that the Roberts Court is a Dictatorshipafter all, his own vote often determines the outcome. Is this assertion correct? explain
Step by Step Solution
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
Step: 3
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started