Manipulating Courts in New Democracies: Forcing Judges off the Bench in Argentina

When can the Executive manipulate the composition of a Court? What political factors explain judicial instability on the bench?

Using original field data from Argentina's National Supreme Court and all twenty-four Provincial Supreme Courts, Andrea Castagnola develops a novel theory to explain forced retirements of judges. She argues that in developing democracies the political benefits of manipulating the court outweigh the costs associated with doing so. The instability of the political co...