From:
Show-Me Institute:
Is the 'Missouri Plan' Good for Missouri?"Recent judicial appointments in Missouri have intensified calls for reform of Missouri’s judicial selection process. While these debates can seem like mere partisan bickering, judicial independence is critical to a well-functioning legal system, which is an important factor in economic growth. Research has found that judicial independence and legal system quality matter for economic growth, and that the outcomes of a state’s legal system depend in part on how its judges are selected. Although the General Assembly decided not to pursue legislation that might alter the “Missouri Plan” during this past legislative session, the quality of the state’s legal system and its potential effect on economic growth is an issue worthy of ongoing attention...."
Find out the results of a study of judicial selection systems, undertaken by Joshua Hall who is an assistant professor of economics at Beloit College and Russell S. Sobel, professor of economics and Distinguished Chair in the Department of Economics at West Virginia, at the link above.
You can also access the full study and a four page policy briefing
here.From the briefing:
"Our analysis finds no other method of selection resulting in average scores or rankings that are statistically higher than Missouri’s current system."
