EXPLAINING DISSENT: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF JUDICIAL BEHAVIOR OF THE BRAZILIAN SUPREME COURT AND THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

Authors

  • Guilherme da Franca Couto Fernandes de Almeida Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
  • José Luiz Nunes Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro (FGV Rio).
  • Luciano de Oliveira Chaves Filho Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro (FGV Rio).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21783/rei.v2i2.68

Keywords:

Dissent, Court’s Cohesion, Workload, Personality, Constitutional Courts

Abstract

The literature on dissent in courts points some factors as causes of reduction or increase in the amount of dissenting votes. The workload is often considered to be among the most critical of these factors. This hypothesis is supported by past studies, which found a correlation between the variables in the Brazilian Supreme Court and the SCOTUS. We found that less discussed factors, especially the individual differences between the justices’ personalities, seemed able to better explain court cohesion. In this paper we report quantitative data that supports this claim. Considering that there might be normative reasons to alter court cohesion, it is relevant to know which is the most effective way to exercise such manipulation. The results indicate that changing the way justices are nominated, taking their personalities in consideration, could be a better strategy to impact cohesion as opposed to modifying workload, as the literature commonly suggests.

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Author Biographies

Guilherme da Franca Couto Fernandes de Almeida, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

LLM Student, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. LLB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Researcher of the project Supremo em Números, Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro. Scholarship at the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

José Luiz Nunes, Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro (FGV Rio).

LLB Student and Research Assistent in the Project "Supremo em Números", Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro.

Luciano de Oliveira Chaves Filho, Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro (FGV Rio).

LLB Student and Research Assistent in the Project "Supremo em Números", Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro.

Published

2019-04-09

How to Cite

Almeida, G. da F. C. F. de, Nunes, J. L., & Chaves Filho, L. de O. (2019). EXPLAINING DISSENT: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF JUDICIAL BEHAVIOR OF THE BRAZILIAN SUPREME COURT AND THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. JOURNAL OF INSTITUTIONAL STUDIES, 2(2), 899–931. https://doi.org/10.21783/rei.v2i2.68

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Awarded Papers - IV International Seminar on Institutional Theory

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