Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Supreme Court and Grass Roots Politics: The Impact of Supreme Court Decisions on Local Public Opinion

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9423032 Segal This dissertation research examines the impact of Supreme Court decisions on public opinion in local communities in which the cases are generated. Four decisions by the court (two civil- liberties and two economic/property rights cases) will be studied. The two-wave panel research design will measure opinions on the issue both before and after the Supreme Court decision. Each panel will consist of two geographic samples of residents of the immediate town where the case originate and residents of the surrounding towns. This research will investigate the levels of awareness of the case, levels of opinion change, and citizens' evaluation of the Court after it has decided the case. This study will contribute to our understanding of the impact Supreme Court rulings have on the opinions of residents of the community in which the case originates, how rulings affect their evaluation of the Court, and their perception of the impact of the Court on their lives. ***