The appeal of a federal wealth tax is undeniable. Progressive politicians tout it as a powerful tool to combat rising inequality, promising to make the ultra-wealthy pay their “fair share” […]
Author: Barry Edwards
Does Actual Innocence Matter? A Proposed Statistical Analysis of Appellate Outcomes
The criminal justice system’s most fundamental promise is that the innocent will not be punished. Yet we know from decades of exoneration data that innocent people are regularly convicted and […]
Bringing Statistical Rigor to Appellate Standards: A Framework for Judicial Clarity
The American appellate system faces a persistent problem that undermines the rule of law: the widespread confusion over which standards of review apply in different circumstances and how to implement […]
Do Appellate Courts Actually Correct Errors?
The conventional wisdom about appellate courts is straightforward: they exist to correct errors made by trial courts. This textbook description portrays appellate courts as institutional safeguards, carefully reviewing lower court […]
Justice Scalia’s Strategic Voting in Arizona v. Fulminante
Understanding how Supreme Court justices make decisions has long fascinated political scientists. While many analyses focus on the attitudinal model—the idea that justices simply vote for their preferred policy outcomes […]
Presidential Ideal Points in the Age of Trump: A Suggestion for Future Research
One of the more powerful tools in understanding American political institutions is the ideal point estimate — a statistical summary of how a political actor behaves across a set of […]
Modeling the NFL Betting Market
Looking ahead to the 2025/26 NFL season, I analyzed DraftKings betting lines to understand how point spreads and over/under totals reflect expectations about team performance. Using data from each week’s […]
Cases that Illustrate Felony-Murder Rule
Teaching a class on judicial process and politics, I located some interesting cases to illustrate the felony-murder rule. I think it’s an interesting legal doctrine and students were surprised to […]
Career Planning Advice for Students (in Simple Diagram)
As a college professor, I have had many opportunities to talk with students about their career plans. Many of these students are trying to figure out if they should go […]
Requiring that States Pay Jurors at Least Minimum Wage for Serving on Juries
Jury service is a cornerstone of the American justice system, yet jurors in many states receive woefully inadequate compensation for their time and effort. Across the United States, the rates […]