Citizens, Courts, and Confirmations: Positivity Theory and the Judgments of the American People - Softcover

"In this exceptionally well-crafted book, Gibson and Caldeira assess changes in the way the media can influence public support for the Supreme Court. This pathbreaking book is every bit as careful, rigorous, and important as we would expect work by these esteemed authors to be."--Jeffrey Segal, Stony Brook University, State University of New York

"In one sense, Citizens, Courts, and Confirmations is a study of the Alito nomination. But in another it is so much more--a rich and fascinating story about the public's attitudes toward the Supreme Court told by two of today's most eminent political scientists. Anyone with an interest in presidential appointments, public opinion, or institutional legitimacy should move Citizens, Courts, and Confirmations to the top of their reading list."--Lee Epstein, Northwestern University School of Law

"A truly comprehensive look at the dynamics of public support for the Supreme Court and for a nominee. This is the single best study of this subject, and the most theoretically rich study to date. The findings are numerous. I expect that it will become an important book in the field of law and the courts, and that it will be widely cited."--Valerie Hoekstra, Arizona State University

"In Citizens, Courts, and Confirmations, Gibson and Caldeira present an elaborate, multifaceted interpretation of Americans' attitudes toward the Supreme Court. Numerous provocative and surprising findings are reported along the way. This is a major work, one that paves the way for future research on public opinion and the Supreme Court. It is an understatement to say that it is a much-welcomed addition to the field."--Jeffery J. Mondak, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

James L. Gibson is the Sidney W. Souers Professor of Government at Washington University in St. Louis. His books include Overcoming Apartheid: Can Truth Reconcile a Divided Nation?
Gregory A. Caldeira holds the Ann and Darrell Dreher Chair in Political Communication and Policy Thinking at Ohio State University.