Myers, William

I am a doctoral candidate studying Judicial Politics and Political Behavior in both the American and Comparative contexts.

My research interests center primarily around exploring the limits and boundaries of judicial legitimacy.  Courts, unlike other political institutions, do not have a natural constituency to draw support nor do they have institutional powers necessary to ensure their decisions are followed.  Instead courts rely on imagery and symbols associated with the judiciary and the rule of law to bolster public confidence in the legitimacy of their decisions.  My dissertation, The High Court of Australia and Public Opinion Toward Native Title Land Rights, explores one dimension of judicial legitimacy: under what conditions court decisions can influence the public.

I have taught several courses on both the American Judicial and American Legislative Processes.  Additionally, I have been a teaching assistant for American Constitutional Law, Moot Court and Legal Research, Introduction to American Politics, and Introduction to Comparative Politics.  Additionally, Professor Reginald Sheehan and myself edited a volume for use in undergraduate courses on the American Judicial Process.  The Politics of the American Judicial Process, published in 2009 by Kendall-Hunt, exposes students to classic and cutting-edge research of interest including judicial decision-making and the implementation of judicial decisions.

I was born and raised in Columbus, OH. I attended the University of Michigan and was a member of the Michigan Marching Band graduating with a BA in History in 2003. Prior to beginning graduate studies at MSU, I worked as a Research Assistant and Technician at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan from 2003 to 2005.