Supreme Bias: Gender and Race in U.S. Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings

Supreme Bias: Gender and Race in U.S. Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings

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In Supreme Bias, Christina L. Boyd, Paul M. Collins, Jr., and Lori A. Ringhand present for the first time a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of race and gender at the Supreme Court confirmation hearings held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Drawing on their deep knowledge of the confirmation hearings, as well as rich new qualitative and quantitative evidence, the authors highlight how the women and people of color who have sat before the Committee have faced a significantly different confirmation process than their white male colleagues. Despite being among the most qualified and well-credentialed lawyers of their respective generations, female nominees and nominees of color face more skepticism of their professional competence, are subjected to stereotype-based questioning, are more frequently interrupted, and are described in less-positive terms by senators. In addition to revealing the disturbing extent to which race and gender bias exist even at the highest echelon of U.S. legal power, this book also provides concrete suggestions for how that bias can be reduced in the future.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

ONE: Diversifying the Federal Courts

TWO: The Supreme Court Confirmation Process

THREE: Theorizing Bias in the Confirmation Hearings

FOUR: Professional Competence and Expertise

FIVE: Interruptions

SIX: Language Choices

SEVEN: Gender, Race, and the Thomas-Hill

and Kavanaugh-Blasey Ford Special Sessions

EIGHT: Reflecting and Looking Forward

Notes

References

Index

ISBN

9781503632691

Publication Date

10-2023

Publisher

Stanford University Press

City

Stanford, CA

Keywords

law, constitutional law, U.S. courts, law and society, politics, judicial politics, gender, race, U.S. senate, senate judiciary committee

Disciplines

American Politics | Supreme Court of the United States

Supreme Bias: Gender and Race in U.S. Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings

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