{"product_id":"free-to-judge-michael-kang-9781503627611","title":"Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe idea that wealthy people use their money to influence things, including politics, law, and media will surprise very few people. However, as Michael S. Kang and Joanna Shepherd argue in this readable and rich study of the state judiciary, the effect of money on judicial outcomes should disturb and anger everyone. In the current system that elects state judges, the rich and powerful can spend money to elect and re-elect judges who decide cases the way they want. \u003ci\u003eFree to Judge\u003c\/i\u003e is about how and why money increasingly affects the dispensation of justice in our legal system, and what can be done to stop it.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne of the barriers to action in the past has been an inability to prove that campaign donations influence state judicial decision-making. In this book, Kang and Shepherd answer that challenge for the first time, with a rigorous empirical study of campaign finance and judicial decision-making data. Pairing this with interviews of past and present judges, they create a compelling and persuasive account of people like Marsha Ternus, the first Iowa state supreme court justice to be voted out of office after her decision in a same-sex marriage case. The threat of such an outcome, and the desire to win reelection, results in judges demonstrably leaning towards the interests and preferences of their campaign donors across all cases. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFree to Judge\u003c\/i\u003e is thus able to identify the pieces of our current system that invite bias, such as judicial reelection, and what reforms should focus on. This thoughtful and compellingly written book will be required reading for anybody who cares about creating a more just legal system. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Kang, Joanna Shepherd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1503627616\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781503627611\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Stanford University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/22\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.01lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.06h x 5.91w x 0.94d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/26\/2023","brand":"Michael Kang","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44078161920255,"sku":"9781503627611","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_12726043-df04-492c-899e-9f2eb2f32daa.jpg?v=1685473890","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/free-to-judge-michael-kang-9781503627611","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}