Mark’s research about judges with Congressional experience published in Washington Post

Alyx Mark, North Central College assistant professor of political science, has researched the consequences of the federal judiciary lacking judges with Congressional work experience. Her initial findings were published in The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage, a blog dedicated to publishing political science research relevant to the news cycle. Her article, published Feb. 10, is titled “Is it a problem that judges no longer have experience working in Congress?”

“Whatever the reason, the president isn’t nominating, and Congress isn’t confirming, judges with political experience. And that might actually be making it harder for the branches to understand each other,” she says in her article, which aligns with her ongoing research on the separation of powers and inter-branch conflict.

She considers an empirical puzzle, why fewer confirmed judges have Congressional experience than ever before in history, and how judges with legislative experience could lead to higher levels of understanding and compromise among the branches.

Click here to view Mark’s faculty profile.