Responses by Courts and Nongovernmental Actors

This chapter focuses on two related to presidential statements and actions—;;litigation and appointee voting. It analyzes the responses from those outside government: interest groups, political parties, the media, elections, and public opinion. The Court became much more conservative than Congress by 1989. The chapter examines the basic relationship between presidential preferences and the voting records of the Supreme Court justices whom they appoint. It shows the relationship between the presidential preferences in their policy statements to judicial votes on cases, expecting a positive relationship in level of support for civil rights between a president and his Supreme Court appointees. The chapter discusses interest groups and then other actor responses during these two administrations. It considers responses to presidents' policy statements and actions. Reaction from those outside government is limited to the Ronald Reagan and George Bush administrations.