Ideas Have Consequences: The Impact of Law and Economics on American Justice

Elliott Ash, Daniel L. Chen and Suresh Naidu
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Daniel L. Chen: TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: This paper provides a quantitative analysis of the eects of the early law and economics movement on the U.S. judiciary. Using the universe of published opinions in U.S. Circuit Courts and 1 million District Court criminal sentencing decisions linked to judge identity, we estimate the eect of attendance in the controversial Manne economics training program, an intensive course attended by almost half of federal judges between 1976 and 1999. After attending economics training, participating judges use more economics language, render more conservative verdicts in economics cases, rule against regulatory/taxation agencies more often, and impose longer criminal sentences. These results are robust to adjusting for a wide variety of covariates that predict the timing of attendance. Non-Manne judges randomly exposed to Manne peers on previous cases increase their use of economics language in subsequent opinions, suggesting economics ideas diused throughout the judiciary.

Keywords: Judicial Decision-Making; Ideology; Intellectual History (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-12-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-hpe
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Working Paper: Ideas Have Consequences: The Impact of Law and Economics on American Justice (2022)
Working Paper: Ideas Have Consequences: The Impact of Law and Economics on American Justice (2022)
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