1. Public Confidence of The Judiciary in Africa.
- Author
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Wonbin Cho and Randazzo, Kirk A.
- Subjects
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PUBLIC support , *PUBLIC opinion , *COURTS , *JUDICIAL power - Abstract
Within the last decade, observers of the judiciary have witnessed an increased politicization of the courts within several countries, accompanied by a diverse range of public responses concerning the "judicialization of politics" (Tate and Vallinder 1995). Several scholars (see in particular Gibson, Caldeira, and Baird 1998) have examined this phenomenon; yet, a majority of the literature is based on studies of established democracies. Less attention has been paid to emerging democracies where a lack of citizen support may create or reinforce a pervasive cycle of distrust. We argue that it is essential for scholars to focus on these areas to determine whether hypotheses generated by research conducted in established democracies remain consistent.Our paper, consequently, expands on this literature by examining judicial confidence among countries in Africa. We argue that an African perspective on this question is vitally important for two major reasons. First, since public perceptions toward procedural fairness in the judicial system affect overall feelings toward government (Rohrschneider 2005), it is essential to examine a region where political instability has been more the norm than the exception. Second, several scholars note the importance of the 'rule of law' to democratic transition and consolidation (see Ginsburg 2003). Consequently, it is important to examine public perceptions on the efficacy of the rule of law in a region where democratic consolidation has been relatively fragmented and inconsistent. Data for this analysis comes from seventeen (17) sub-Saharan countries surveyed by the Afrobarometer. To examine perceptions of confidence in the judicial branch we focus on the linkages between judicial legitimacy, institutional support, and public opinion. We test specific hypotheses about these linkages using data collected in three waves (2000, 2002, and 2005), combined with relevant country-specific data on democratic performance and consolidation. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009