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PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE
FEDERAL JUDICIARY BY SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, 2000-2011 (in
percent)
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President
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African American
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Hispanic
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Asian
American
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White
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Women
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Men
|
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Obama
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22%
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11%
|
8%
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59%
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46%
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54%
|
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Bush
|
7%
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9%
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1%
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82%
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22%
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78%
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Presidents consider many factors when nominating candidates to the federal courts, and getting their nominees confirmed is often difficult.
(a) Using the chart above, describe ONE similarity between President Obama's judicial appointments
and those made by President Bush.
(b) Using the chart above, describe TWO differences between President Obama's judicial appointments
and those made by President Bush.
(c) Explain why a president's party affiliation accounts for differences in presidential appointments to the
judiciary.
(d) Describe one way a president can increase the chances of having a judicial nominations of federal
courts confirmed.
The above question was take from released 2013 College Board AP US Government and Politics Exam.
a) Both Obama and Bush had the highest percentage of their appointments in the 'white' category.
ReplyDeleteb) Obama's appointments were more equally separated between men and women. He had 46% women and 54% men. However, Bush had much more men than women. He had 22% women and 78% men.
Although both Obama and Bush had their highest percentage in the 'white' category, Obama spread out his percentages among the different races more than Bush. Obama had 22% African American, 11% Hispanic, and 8% Asian American. Bush had 7% African American, 9% Hispanic, and 1% Asian American.
c) The political culture of different ethnicities and races of America accounts for differences in presidential appointments. For example, African Americans have traditionally been Democrats after the 1940s. In presidential elections between 1984 and 2012, the African American Democratic vote averaged 89%. Different races are traditionally part of different political parties. So, this accounts for the differences in presidential appointments due to their political party affiliation.
d) Presidents can increase the chances of having a judicial nominations of federal courts confirmed by using senatorial courtesy. Senatorial courtesy is the presidential custom of submitting the names of possible appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work. This does not guarantee confirmation, but it helps.
a) Asian Americans were the lowest percentage of both Bush and Obama's appointments.
ReplyDeleteb) Bush appointed 22% women and 78% men, while Obama appointed 46% women and 54% men. Obama appointed a fairly balanced amount of men and women, but Bush appointed mostly men.
Bush appointed an overwhelming majority in the white race, while Obama evenly dispersed among the races.
c) If a president is affiliated with the democratic party, they are mostly likely supported by people within the African American and Hispanic races. A president affiliated with the republican party, on the other hand, will be supported by white people. Therefore, party affiliations greatly affect presidential appointments. Also, women have begun to greatly support presidents affiliated with the democratic party due to the emphasis placed on women's rights. Because of this, there has been a fairly even amount of women and appointed.
d) The president can increase the chances of having judicial nominations of federal courts confirmed through senatorial courtesy. This occurs when the president seeks approval from senators within specific states that the possible appointees may work in.