Public Perceptions of Gender Bias in the Decisions of Female State Court Judges - Vanderbilt Law Review Vanderbilt Law Review | Vanderbilt University Skip to main content link Home About About Vanderbilt Law Review Alumni Awards Masthead Submissions Subscriptions News An Open Letter from Vanderbilt Law Review Alumni Newsletter Content Articles Notes Essays Comments Archives by Month and by Subject Volumes Volume 75 Volume 75, Number 1 Volume 75, Number 2 Volume 75, Number 3 Volume 75, Number 4 Volume 74 Volume 74, Number 1 Volume 74, Number 2 Volume 74, Number 3 Volume 74, Number 4 Volume 74, Number 5 Volume 74, Number 6 Volume 73 Volume 73, Number 1 Volume 73, Number 2 Volume 73, Number 3 Volume 73, Number 4 Volume 73, Number 5 Volume 73, Number 6 Volume 72 Volume 72, Number 1 Volume 72, Number 2 Volume 72, Number 3 Volume 72, Number 4 Volume 72, Number 5 Volume 72, Number 6 Volume 71 Volume 71, Number 1 Volume 71, Number 2 Volume 71, Number 3 Volume 71, Number 4 Volume 71, Number 5 Volume 71, Number 6 Volume 70 Volume 70, Number 1 Volume 70, Number 2 Volume 70, Number 3 Volume 70, Number 4 Volume 70, Number 5 Volume 70, Number 6 Volume 69 Volume 69, Number 1 Volume 69, Number 2 Volume 69, Number 3 Volume 69, Number 4 Volume 69, Number 5 Volume 69, Number 6 Symposium Symposium 2020 (November): Professor Margaret Blair’s Contributions to Understanding the Role of Corporations in the Economy Symposium 2019 (October): Governing Wicked Problems Symposium 2017 (October): The Future of Discovery Symposium 2017 (March): The Dodd-Frank Act and Financial Reform: What Next? Symposium 2016 (May): Erwin Chemerinsky’s Case Against the Supreme Court Archives En Banc About En Banc Responses Roundtables Book Reviews Essays Delaware Corporate Law Bulletins Notes and Comments Off the Page Podcast Vanderbilt Law Review Public Perceptions of Gender Bias in the Decisions of Female State Court Judges Posted by on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 in Volume 70, Volume 70, Number 6. Public Perceptions of Gender Bias in the Decisions of Female State Court Judges ABSTRACT How are women on the bench, and their decisions, perceived by the public? Many scholars find that gender influences the voting behavior of judges and the assessment of judges by state judicial systems and the American Bar Association. However, few scholars have examined how judge gender affects the way in which the public responds to judicial outcomes. Does the public perceive the decisions of female state court judges as being “biased” by their gender identity, particularly in cases involving reproductive rights/family law? Also, does the public view female judges on state courts as more likely to rely on ideology when ruling in cases? Using a survey experiment that varies judge gender in a state child custody case, we examine whether respondents exhibit less support for judicial decisions authored by female state court judges. Additionally, we test whether respondents are more likely to perceive the decisions of female state court judges as ideologically biased or as a product of gender influences (as compared to male judges). Finally, we assess whether these effects are conditional on or exacerbated by respondent characteristics such as gender, race, and religiosity. The influence of gender on public response to state court decisions has important implications for our understanding of why certain court decisions find public support and acceptance. AUTHORS Michael P. Fix Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Georgia State University Gbemende E. Johnson Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Hamilton College GO VLR Social Media twitter instagram linkedin RSS Feed Your Vanderbilt Alumni Current Students Faculty & Staff International Students Media Parents & Family Prospective Students Researchers Sports Fans Visitors & Neighbors Quick Links PeopleFinder Libraries News Calendar Maps A-Z © Vanderbilt University · All rights reserved. Site Development: Digital Strategies (Division of Communications) Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Vanderbilt University does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or genetic information in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. Accessibility information. Vanderbilt®, Vanderbilt University® and the Vanderbilt logos are trademarks of The Vanderbilt University.