analogies

[Leslie Goldstein]

I must differ here with my esteemed fellow political scientist, Mark Graber.  Political science is (and has been) unable to prove that the U.S.Supreme Court, in the long run, does NOT influence U.S. (or for that matter, world) public opinion.   What has been demonstrated is merely that political scientists are UNABLE to prove that it does influence public opinion.  This is not a small distinction.  Innumerable things are (it is mere than plausible to assume) at work influencing us all the time and it is very difficult to prove that that each of them in fact is influencing us.  The difficulty of the proof does not DISprove the fact of influence.  It simply does not prove it.
best wishes,
Leslie F.Goldstein

Mark Graber wrote:

> Some comments on lessons from Casey and Bush.
>
> 1.  The Court rarely if ever changes any one's mind.  Lots of social science data tht the Court is not a republican schoolmaster.  Maybe over time attitudes move in the judicial direction, but it isn't clear to say the least that the judicial decision is the reason.
> Mark A. Graber
> mgraber at gvpt.umd.edu