The Judicial Power of the Purse

“A significant advance on conventional wisdom about judicial behavior during wartime emergencies. With admirable clarity, Nancy Staudt provides plausible evidence that the judiciary is an active partner in crisis governance—finding ways to put pools of cash at the government’s disposal when it does not use its taxing powers aggressively enough.”

“Nancy Staudt’s The Judicial Power of the Purse offers an entirely fresh perspective on the determinants of judicial decision making.  By focusing on the fiscal consequences of judges’ voting behavior, she presents surprising new insights into the impact of macroeconomic factors on their choices. In testing a novel and exciting theory about judging, Staudt establishes herself as a creative and innovative social scientist and makes a major contribution to the literature on judicial behavior.”—Stefanie A. Lindquist, University of Texas School of Law

"Investigating thousands of Supreme Court and lower federal court opinions, courtroom filings, and law clerk memoranda, Nancy Staudt exposes the implicit judicial power of the purse. . . . Staudt dynamically expands the scholarly understanding of the macro-level factors that influence judicial decision making. This book challenges conventional perceptions of federal power dynamics and revives the debate over the extent to which considerations of national interests should sway judicial preferences."—Harvard Law Review