Judicial Independence and Judicial Accountability in the United States

FAIN: FB-51888-05

George Alan Tarr
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden (Camden, NJ 08102-1405)

This study examines the role of the judiciary in a democratic society through an analysis of the debate in the American states about judicial independence and accountability. Half the study will draw on constitutional convention records to trace evolving perspectives on the role of the judiciary. Half the study will examine recent political and legal developments that have transformed the process of judicial selection and trace their effects, concluding with an examination of alternatives for both safeguarding independence and ensuring accountability.