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Michael Nelson

@mjnelson.bsky.social
902 followers 874 following 71 posts

Political Scientist and Dept. Head @ Penn State. Courts, judicial legitimacy, state politics.

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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 29/09/2026
#OpenAccess from State Politics and Policy Quarterly - Can Issue Publics Overcome Inequalities in State Policy Knowledge? - cup.org/4huErnU - @mjnelson.bsky.social & @cmwitko.bsky.social #FirstView
Logo of "State Politics & Policy Quarterly" next to a stylized map of the United States.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
New paper with @mjnelson.bsky.social Affluent + highly educated are more knowledgeable about state policies. Issue publics reduce knowledge disparities for some groups (LGBT on LGBT issues, women on abortion), but these disparities remain within issue publics. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
cambridge.org
Can Issue Publics Overcome Inequalities in State Policy Knowledge? | State Politics & Policy Quarterly | Cambridge Core
Can Issue Publics Overcome Inequalities in State Policy Knowledge?
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
ECPR Standing Group on Law and Courts @ecpr-law-courts.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
@mjnelson.bsky.social & Amanda Driscoll on how the judicial reforms in Mexico have shaped attorneys' trust in the courts, ambitions to enter the judiciary, and litigation practice! #ecprgc26
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Penn State is hiring an Assistant Professor with research and teaching interests in political science and artificial intelligence, broadly defined. Please share widely! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor, Political Science
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
It is syllabus time, so time to circulate a handout I wrote a few years ago that people have found useful in their classes about how to read academic articles: mjnelson.org/Teaching/How...
mjnelson.org
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 14/08/2026
Join host Eleonora Mattiacci in conversation with Cyanne E. Loyle, author of Escaping Justice, as they explore how states navigate international pressure while maintaining impunity. cup.org/4z6QvE3 #PoliSci #ComparativePolitics #EscapingJustice
newbooksnetwork.com
Cyanne E. Loyle, "Escaping Justice: Impunity for State Crimes in the Age of Accountability" (Cambridge UP, 2025) - New Books Network
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
European Journal of Political Research @ejprjournal.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Preference or principles? 👨‍⚖️ 🦹 These authors 🧵 introduce the noncompliance penalty, using survey experiments, to explain the loss of public support for government actions that contravenes the law buff.ly/veOR66L
cambridge.org
Preferences or principles? The ‘noncompliance penalty’ and the limits of public support for the rule of law | European Journal of Political Research | Cambridge Core
Preferences or principles? The ‘noncompliance penalty’ and the limits of public support for the rule of law
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Sean Ehrlich @seandehrlich.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Now that we’re well into summer, I think it’s time to announce here FSU’s polisci dept’s hiring last year. (I meant to do at the end of the year but forgot.) First up, James Gibson, previously of WashU, will be joining us in the fall as the Regent’s Research Professor. This is a huge coup for us.
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
One year ago today, Mexican voters went to the polls as part of the most ambitious judicial reforms in modern democratic history: the direct election of judges across the federal judiciary.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 18/05/2026
From TOMORROW (19th of May 2026) all articles accepted for publication in the Journal of Law and Courts will be #OpenAccess. Find out more here - cup.org/4snLLp9 We have an OA option for every author.
Banner for the "Journal of Law and Courts" featuring a classical column detail on the left and the text "#OpenAccess" in the lower right corner.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 06/04/2026
Stolen Representation by Michael P. Olson This book uses a tremendous amount of new historical data to illuminate how voting rights shape legislative representation. 📚 cup.org/4tt9W6u
Stolen Representation by Michael P. Olson
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Rachel Shelden @rachelshelden.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Not sure whether this is apt or terrible timing but here’s the official cover of my book due out with @uncpress.bsky.social W. Hodding Carter III imprint this fall. 🎉
Book cover for Rachel A. Shelden, The Political Supreme Court: A Forgotten History
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
See also this article with @mjnelson.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Douglas Keith @douglaskeith.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Just published my analysis of spending in the 2024 state supreme court election cycle. At $157 million, this was the most expensive cycle ever for judicial races…by a lot. Including in states where judicial elections probably weren’t on your radar.
brennancenter.org
The Politics of Judicial Elections 2023-24
Spending hit new highs, fueled largely by interest groups and battles over abortion rights.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Timothy R. Johnson @trjumn.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
If you are interested in the U.S. Supreme Court, but have never seen the justices in action, onthedocket.org provides a step in the right direction. We combine authentic audio with AI-generated video to show you the justices announcing opinions in some of the highest profile cases they decide!
onthedocket.org
On The Docket - Experience the Supreme Court Like Never Before
We transform audio recordings into compelling video narratives using AI technology.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Tom Clark @tomsclark.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Come work at Stanford! I'm hiring a post-doc who will work with me on projects about prosecutors and trial courts in the US. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or apply here: hoover.smapply.us/prog/postdoc...
hoover.smapply.us
Postdoctoral Fellowship at Hoover Institution, Stanford University – Tom Clark - Hoover Apply
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
As rights protections across the states diverge people may relocate to pursue more rights. @mjnelson.bsky.social and I find abortion rights spur moves and this very interesting report shows that attacks on LGBT rights are also interstate spurring migration. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Abortion Bans and Interstate Migration - Michael J. Nelson, Christopher Witko, 2025
The Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling created a patchwork of abortion regulations across the U.S. Proponents of federalism argue that the easy exit option federalism...
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Just in time for your State Politics grad seminar, Berkman, Herlihy and I have some data on the development of the State Politics subfield (and SPPQ) over the past 65 years!
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
🚨 the best state policy & public opinion database is now online. ~200 (!!!) state policies and 80 public opinion series on abortion, labor, taxes, environment, guns, education… dynamicdemocracy.shinyapps.io Massive public goods provision from @devincaughey.bsky.social & @chriswarshaw.bsky.social
Welcome to the Dynamic Democracy App
This app lets you manipulate, explore, and download the Dynamic Democracy datasets with information on state policies and public opinion assembled by Devin Caughey and Chris Warshaw. Click on the triangle next to each category for more details.
• State Policies: This dataset includes information on approximately 200 policies in place in at least one state between 1936 and 2024.
• State Policy Ideology : Measures summarizing aggregate policy outputs in each state/year between 1936-2024.
• Public Opinion: Measures summarizing state publics views on approximately 80 issues, covering 1936-2024.
• Mass Ideology.: Measures of state publics' economic and cultural ideological preferences, 1936-2021.
• Policy Proximity.: Measures of how closely state policies match public preferences.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Allison P. Harris @allipatter.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
I’m hiring a predoctoral fellow for the 2026-2027 AY with possibility of a second year. This is a great position for someone interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or who wants more hands-on experience doing research. Please apply/share! Happy to answer questions! tobin.yale.edu/opportunitie...
tobin.yale.edu
CSAP Predoc: Polarization and Inequality in the U.S. Criminal Legal System
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Penn State published a nice article on my recent book with Amanda Driscoll and Jay Krehbiel about the public's support for the rule of law and why it matters: www.psu.edu/news/liberal...
psu.edu
Professor’s new book examines public perceptions of independent courts | Penn State University
Michael J. Nelson, professor and head of the Department of Political Science in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts, is the co-author of the new book, “The Efficacy of Judicial Review: The Rule o...
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Doctors are less likely to want a residency in states with abortion bans per research with @mjnelson.bsky.social Studies we cite shows high achieving women don’t want to go to college in states with bans. It goes beyond bans of course. Brain drain is real. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
A new article with @mjnelson.bsky.social in PRQ, using a conjoint, CPS ASES and medical residency application data, finds that abortion bans make states less desirable places to live for young women, college graduates and doctors. This law is more extreme. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Abortion Bans and Interstate Migration - Michael J. Nelson, Christopher Witko, 2025
The Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling created a patchwork of abortion regulations across the U.S. Proponents of federalism argue that the easy exit option federalism...
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Tommaso Pavone @tommasopavone.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Friends, my article w/ @silje-hermansen.bsky.social and @louisabo.bsky.social on how/why the "have nots" come out ahead in litigation @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social is out in @bjpols.bsky.social! We propose a theory of judicial leveling & spotlighting to explain these contrarian results: take a look!
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
Penn State Political Science is launching a new Semester in Washington program and we’re hiring a full-time on-site coordinator for the program, based permanently in Washington, D.C.
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
SPPC 2026 will be held in Chicago and has a website: www.luc.edu/politicalsci.... Hope to see you there!
luc.edu
: Loyola University Chicago
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
NEW - Trust in the Judiciary and Partisan Reactions to Judicial Checks: Evidence from Argentina - cup.org/42BRe1j "judicial checks expose citizens to information that is primarily instrumental" - Martín Gandur #FirstView
BJPolS abstract discussing the impact of public support on judicial institutions and interbranch conflicts. The abstract analyses how governmental challenges affect trust in judiciaries, particularly after high-profile judicial reforms, using a hypothesis that relates public reactions to government's actions.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 30/09/2025
#OpenAccess from @apsrjournal.bsky.social - The Path of Law: Legal Uncertainty and Issues of First Impression in the U.S. Courts of Appeals - cup.org/42XsrF0 - @anthonytaboni.bsky.social #FirstView
Banner with the hashtag #OpenAccess on a green background above the name 'American Political Science Review' on a blue background.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
Taught intro to hypothesis testing today in undergrad stats for the first time in a while and this activity is undefeated for giving the intuition for hypothesis testing: jse.amstat.org/v2n1/eckert..... Plus you can do it as a magic trick which makes it fun.
jse.amstat.org
Journal of Statistics Education, V2N1: Eckert
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
Taught intro to hypothesis testing today in undergrad stats for the first time in a while and this activity is undefeated for giving the intuition for hypothesis testing: jse.amstat.org/v2n1/eckert..... Plus you can do it as a magic trick which makes it fun.
jse.amstat.org
Journal of Statistics Education, V2N1: Eckert
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Nick Davis @ntd.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
colleagues in political science. the formal update to the Garand and Giles journal ranking survey is now live. many of you will receive an email momentarily inviting you to participate. in the event you do NOT receive an invitation, please see this website to self-enroll. thanks! sharing = caring!
eppr.study
Participating
The Evaluation of Publication in Political Research study is open to serious producers and consumers of political research, including faculty in institutions of higher education, doctoral students,…
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
More than you've ever wanted to know about the consequences executives face for defying courts, available for 20% off with discount code TEJR2025 at www.cambridge.org/core/books/e...!
cambridge.org
The Efficacy of Judicial Review
Cambridge Core - Constitutional and Administrative Law - The Efficacy of Judicial Review
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Christopher Zorn @prisonrodeo.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
JOB: psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor, Political Science
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Penn State is searching at the Assistant Professor level in in American political behavior, broadly defined. We are seekign someone who can offer undergraduate and graduate courses in political methodology or social data analytics.
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor, Political Science
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Penn State is searching in Comparative Politics or International Relations for someone with a focus on non-democratic politics who can offer undergraduate and graduate courses in political methodology.
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor, Political Science
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Judicial Studies Institute @justinbrno.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
📢 @davidkosar.bsky.social & Patrick Leisure introduce the concept of judicial overstay ⚖️ and argue that we should pay more attention to this transnational phenomenon 🌍. 📖 Read their new article on the IACL blog ✍️📰 🔗 blog-iacl-aidc.org/2025-posts/2...
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
It is that time of year where the handout I made about how to read a social science article comes in useful for faculty and students. In case it is helpful for you: mjnelson.org/Teaching/How....
mjnelson.org
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Robin Taboni @robintaboni.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Really pleased to announce that my paper "The Path of Law: Legal Uncertainty and Cases of First Impression in the U.S. Courts of Appeals" has been accepted at the APSR. The paper can be found here: anthonytaboni.com/wp-content/u...
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Robert Black @hurricanexyz.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Constitutionalism in a nutshell
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Meghan Leonard @meghanleonard.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Everything is awful, but a new paper with @profjvross.bsky.social provides new evidence that state court chief justices are much more like academic department chairs than ideologically-driven seekers of policy outcomes. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Opinion Self-Assignment on State Supreme Courts - Meghan E. Leonard, Joseph V. Ross, 2025
The assignment of a majority opinion author is a pivotal moment in the judicial decision-making process, yet nearly all our understanding of the assignment deci...
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Anna Gunderson @annagunderson.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
Attention #polisky! Apply for @utaustin.bsky.social LBJ School of Public Affairs with a focus on American Political Institutions. I'm on the committee, so please reach out with questions. See below: apply.interfolio.com/170943
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
Research & Politics @respol.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
@abbymatthews.bsky.social & Rachael Hinkle's analysis of judicial citations demonstrates that diversity in race, gender, *and* partisanship plays a critical role in the evolution of legal doctrine, with judges sharing all 3 salient traits experiencing a 25% increase in citation probability.
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Thrilled that this book, with Driscoll and Krehbiel, is out this week. Its topic that become surprisingly relevant: under what conditions does the public punish presidents who ignore court decisions?
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Rachel Shelden @rachelshelden.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Historian friends: tell me about your favorite research & writing tools. As a bonus, would love to know where you learned how to use them & if you'd be interested in sharing your knowledge w/ others.
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Cambridge University Press - Law @cambup-law.cambridge.org · 30/07/2025
Explains when, where, and how constitutional courts help citizens hold executives to account and protect the rule of law The Efficacy of Judicial Review by Amanda Driscoll, Jay N. Krehbiel (@ubuffalo.bsky.social‬), & @mjnelson.bsky.social‬, Out Now #LawSky 💙📚 #Politics cup.org/4fbNxVd
Statue of Lady Justice
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Research & Politics @respol.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Political science suggests liberals are more tolerant of the Supreme Court when it makes decisions they don't like. Kathryn Haglin, Soren Jordan, Alison Higgins Merrill and @joeura.bsky.social ask: does that still hold up with the new-look Court? Read more: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Reposted by Michael Nelson
David Meyers @david.opensecrets.org · 16/07/2025
We are hiring at @opensecrets.org! If you are interested in working with and analyzing large datasets - and you care about government transparency and accountability - apply now to join our research team. www.opensecrets.org/about/jobs?1
opensecrets.org
Jobs
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Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
For folks looking for some stats about the Court, Epstein, Martin, and I have a preliminary report on the term: static1.squarespace.com/static/60188.... Hopefully this will be useful for teaching. SCDB data update will be out in August.
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Kirsten Widner @kirstenwidner.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
New publication alert! @elizabethlane.bsky.social and I examine how the institutional interests of the Office of the Solicitor General shape its positions and the justices' reactions to them 1/3 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Mixed Signals? Rethinking How Ideology and Institutional Motivations Shape the Solicitor General’s Positions - Kirsten Widner, Elizabeth A. Lane, 2025
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) wins more cases before the US Supreme Court than any other party. Recent scholarship shows that justices are most like...
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