'This book is an incredible achievement and a valuable contribution to the literature on state courts. It informs the discussion of judicial reform and effectively demonstrates the drivers of and hurdles facing reform efforts.' Hayley Munir, Political Science Quarterly
1. Introduction. The challenges of judicial selection and retention in the states; 2. North Carolina: partisanship in the extreme; 3. Arkansas: third time was the charm; 4. West Virginia: change and chaos; 5. Tennessee: unconstraining the Governor's choice of appellate judges; 6. Georgia: nonpartisan elections as part of court modernization; 7. Mississippi: a complex of factors; 8. Utah: the two step; 9. New Mexico: finding its own unique approach; 10. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and South Carolina: adding 'merit' to nonelective systems; 11. Florida and South Dakota: unsuccessful efforts to extend the Missouri Plan; 12. Nevada and Ohio: voters say no to the Missouri Plan; 13. Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Hampshire: talk, talk, talk, but no results; 14. Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma: unsuccessful efforts to end 'merit' nominating commissions; 15. Conclusion: what do we want in our judges?