Michael Comiskey
Biographic Data
| ID | 4123054 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Michael Comiskey |
| GIVEN NAMES | Michael |
| FAMILY NAME | Comiskey |
| SIGNATURE | COMISKEY M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Pennsylvania State University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 21 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 15 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1987 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Presidents, Parties, and Inflation, 1957–2014
Several studies have reported that the U.S. economy has experienced higher growth rates and/or lower unemployment under Democratic presidents than under their Republican counterparts. But only one study has examined whether the apparently more prosperous economy during Democratic administrations has come at the cost of higher inflation, and that study reached inconclusive results. We reexamine that question and find a positive association between…
Ps
In 2011, PS: Political Science and Politics published articles covering a vast range of topics. The journal's commitment to publishing articles on pedagogy and the profession, as well as exemplary topical scholarship on a spectrum of issues, call for an equally broad stable of reviewers. PS cannot publish such diverse work without the outstanding work (and openmindedness) of our peer reviewers. The peer-review process relies on the professionalis…
Presidents, Parties, and the Business Cycle, 1949‐2009
Scattered works by political scientists since the 1970s have reported that Democratic presidents have compiled stronger economic records than their Republican counterparts: economic growth has been higher, unemployment lower, and inequality has fallen during Democratic administrations while the opposite outcomes have occurred under Republican presidents. Recently, however, Campbell has vigorously challenged these findings. This article reexamines…
The President's Economy
In this response we reply to C ampbell's criticisms of our article in the M arch 2012 issue of P residential S tudies Q uarterly . We demonstrate algebraically that C ampbell's preferred model of the economy, which includes a lagged value of the dependent variable, merely disguises the impact of the president on economic performance. We reject his other criticisms and stand by our article
Unraveling the Financial Crisis of 2008
In the fall of 2008, the world economy experienced a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami” (Greenspan 2008, 1). Centered in the market for homes and mortgages, the mechanisms that unleashed this financial tidal wave are many and complex. Indeed, an inadequate grasp of modern finance on the part of “the most sophisticated investors” and regulators “in the world” was itself a contributing factor (Greenspan 2008, 3
The Supreme Court Appointment Process
The 11 years from 1994 to 2005 comprised the second-longest period without an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court (Epstein et al. 2003, 353). The nominations of John Roberts in 2005 and Samuel Alito in 2006 were met with enthusiasm by conservatives, foreboding by liberals, and great interest by political scientists concerned with the Court's future and with changes in the appointment process since Stephen Breyer's appointment in 1994
The Senate Confirmation Process and the Quality of U.S. Supreme Court Justices
Some critics of the confirmation process for U.S. Supreme Court nominees have claimed that the contentiousness of the contemporary process has induced presidents to nominate lesser known figures of lesser merit to the High Court, rather than first-rate legal scholars of well known and likely controversial views. This dynamic has led, in the words of one commentator, to a “Court of mediocrity.” This paper tests that thesis by analyzing the results…
The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees. John Anthony Maltese
Can Presidents Pack the Supreme Court? A Micro- and Macrolevel Look at FDR
The question of whether presidents can "pack" the Supreme Court has long concerned political scientists and historians. This paper examines the extent to which Franklin Roosevelt succeeded in appointing Supreme Court justices who would rule as he wished in three types of cases: socioeconomic regulation, civil liberties, and presidential war powers. Based on the varying extent to which he achieved these goals, the different political and contextua…
The Usefulness of Senate Confirmation Hearings for Judicial Nominees
In the September 1993 pages of this journal, I asked whether senators can illuminate the political and legal beliefs of Supreme Court nominees by questioning them at confirmation hearings (Comiskey 1993). Many observers of the confirmation process believe that a nominee's testimony can produce insights into the nominee's views that go beyond what is available from the nominee's public record. While such testimony has often proved barren in the pa…
Electoral Competition and the Growth of Public Spending in 13 Industrial Democracies, 1950 to 1983
This article examines a theoretically important issue that has received surprisingly little attention: whether the process of democratic competition for public office has fueled the growth of domestic spending in the capitalist democracies since World War II. Probably because it is difficult to measure electoral competition in multiparty systems, existing comparative studies of public spending either ignore this question or use dubious measures o…
Can the Senate Examine the Constitutional Philosophies of Supreme Court Nominees
In the last 40 years, universal recognition of the Supreme Court's important policy-making role, the prevalence of divided government, and heightened conflict over value-laden issues such as abortion and school prayer have led to ever more elaborate Senate review of Supreme Court nominations (Freund 1988; Ross 1987, 116-23). Senate hearings into nominees' views on constitutional issues comprise the most visible element in the expanded confirmatio…
Reagonomics after Two Terms
A Response to Jeffrey Sedgwick
The Promise & Performance of Reaganomics
Electoral Competition and the Growth of Public Spending in 13 Industrial Democracies, 1950 to 1983
This article examines a theoretically important issue that has received surprisingly little attention: whether the process of democratic competition for public office has fueled the growth of domestic spending in the capitalist democracies since World War II. Probably because it is difficult to measure electoral competition in multiparty systems, existing comparative studies of public spending either ignore this question or use dubious measures o…
Presidents, Parties, and the Business Cycle, 1949‐2009
Scattered works by political scientists since the 1970s have reported that Democratic presidents have compiled stronger economic records than their Republican counterparts: economic growth has been higher, unemployment lower, and inequality has fallen during Democratic administrations while the opposite outcomes have occurred under Republican presidents. Recently, however, Campbell has vigorously challenged these findings. This article reexamines…
The Supreme Court Appointment Process
The 11 years from 1994 to 2005 comprised the second-longest period without an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court (Epstein et al. 2003, 353). The nominations of John Roberts in 2005 and Samuel Alito in 2006 were met with enthusiasm by conservatives, foreboding by liberals, and great interest by political scientists concerned with the Court's future and with changes in the appointment process since Stephen Breyer's appointment in 1994
Can Presidents Pack the Supreme Court? A Micro- and Macrolevel Look at FDR
The question of whether presidents can "pack" the Supreme Court has long concerned political scientists and historians. This paper examines the extent to which Franklin Roosevelt succeeded in appointing Supreme Court justices who would rule as he wished in three types of cases: socioeconomic regulation, civil liberties, and presidential war powers. Based on the varying extent to which he achieved these goals, the different political and contextua…
Ps
In 2011, PS: Political Science and Politics published articles covering a vast range of topics. The journal's commitment to publishing articles on pedagogy and the profession, as well as exemplary topical scholarship on a spectrum of issues, call for an equally broad stable of reviewers. PS cannot publish such diverse work without the outstanding work (and openmindedness) of our peer reviewers. The peer-review process relies on the professionalis…
The President's Economy
In this response we reply to C ampbell's criticisms of our article in the M arch 2012 issue of P residential S tudies Q uarterly . We demonstrate algebraically that C ampbell's preferred model of the economy, which includes a lagged value of the dependent variable, merely disguises the impact of the president on economic performance. We reject his other criticisms and stand by our article
Unraveling the Financial Crisis of 2008
In the fall of 2008, the world economy experienced a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami” (Greenspan 2008, 1). Centered in the market for homes and mortgages, the mechanisms that unleashed this financial tidal wave are many and complex. Indeed, an inadequate grasp of modern finance on the part of “the most sophisticated investors” and regulators “in the world” was itself a contributing factor (Greenspan 2008, 3
Can the Senate Examine the Constitutional Philosophies of Supreme Court Nominees
In the last 40 years, universal recognition of the Supreme Court's important policy-making role, the prevalence of divided government, and heightened conflict over value-laden issues such as abortion and school prayer have led to ever more elaborate Senate review of Supreme Court nominations (Freund 1988; Ross 1987, 116-23). Senate hearings into nominees' views on constitutional issues comprise the most visible element in the expanded confirmatio…
A Response to Jeffrey Sedgwick
The Promise & Performance of Reaganomics
Reagonomics after Two Terms
Electoral Competition and the Growth of Public Spending in 13 Industrial Democracies, 1950 to 1983
This article examines a theoretically important issue that has received surprisingly little attention: whether the process of democratic competition for public office has fueled the growth of domestic spending in the capitalist democracies since World War II. Probably because it is difficult to measure electoral competition in multiparty systems, existing comparative studies of public spending either ignore this question or use dubious measures o…
Can the Senate Examine the Constitutional Philosophies of Supreme Court Nominees
In the last 40 years, universal recognition of the Supreme Court's important policy-making role, the prevalence of divided government, and heightened conflict over value-laden issues such as abortion and school prayer have led to ever more elaborate Senate review of Supreme Court nominations (Freund 1988; Ross 1987, 116-23). Senate hearings into nominees' views on constitutional issues comprise the most visible element in the expanded confirmatio…
The Usefulness of Senate Confirmation Hearings for Judicial Nominees
In the September 1993 pages of this journal, I asked whether senators can illuminate the political and legal beliefs of Supreme Court nominees by questioning them at confirmation hearings (Comiskey 1993). Many observers of the confirmation process believe that a nominee's testimony can produce insights into the nominee's views that go beyond what is available from the nominee's public record. While such testimony has often proved barren in the pa…
Can Presidents Pack the Supreme Court? A Micro- and Macrolevel Look at FDR
The question of whether presidents can "pack" the Supreme Court has long concerned political scientists and historians. This paper examines the extent to which Franklin Roosevelt succeeded in appointing Supreme Court justices who would rule as he wished in three types of cases: socioeconomic regulation, civil liberties, and presidential war powers. Based on the varying extent to which he achieved these goals, the different political and contextua…
The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees. John Anthony Maltese
The Senate Confirmation Process and the Quality of U.S. Supreme Court Justices
Some critics of the confirmation process for U.S. Supreme Court nominees have claimed that the contentiousness of the contemporary process has induced presidents to nominate lesser known figures of lesser merit to the High Court, rather than first-rate legal scholars of well known and likely controversial views. This dynamic has led, in the words of one commentator, to a “Court of mediocrity.” This paper tests that thesis by analyzing the results…
The Supreme Court Appointment Process
The 11 years from 1994 to 2005 comprised the second-longest period without an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court (Epstein et al. 2003, 353). The nominations of John Roberts in 2005 and Samuel Alito in 2006 were met with enthusiasm by conservatives, foreboding by liberals, and great interest by political scientists concerned with the Court's future and with changes in the appointment process since Stephen Breyer's appointment in 1994
Unraveling the Financial Crisis of 2008
In the fall of 2008, the world economy experienced a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami” (Greenspan 2008, 1). Centered in the market for homes and mortgages, the mechanisms that unleashed this financial tidal wave are many and complex. Indeed, an inadequate grasp of modern finance on the part of “the most sophisticated investors” and regulators “in the world” was itself a contributing factor (Greenspan 2008, 3
Ps
In 2011, PS: Political Science and Politics published articles covering a vast range of topics. The journal's commitment to publishing articles on pedagogy and the profession, as well as exemplary topical scholarship on a spectrum of issues, call for an equally broad stable of reviewers. PS cannot publish such diverse work without the outstanding work (and openmindedness) of our peer reviewers. The peer-review process relies on the professionalis…
Presidents, Parties, and the Business Cycle, 1949‐2009
Scattered works by political scientists since the 1970s have reported that Democratic presidents have compiled stronger economic records than their Republican counterparts: economic growth has been higher, unemployment lower, and inequality has fallen during Democratic administrations while the opposite outcomes have occurred under Republican presidents. Recently, however, Campbell has vigorously challenged these findings. This article reexamines…
The President's Economy
In this response we reply to C ampbell's criticisms of our article in the M arch 2012 issue of P residential S tudies Q uarterly . We demonstrate algebraically that C ampbell's preferred model of the economy, which includes a lagged value of the dependent variable, merely disguises the impact of the president on economic performance. We reject his other criticisms and stand by our article
Presidents, Parties, and Inflation, 1957–2014
Several studies have reported that the U.S. economy has experienced higher growth rates and/or lower unemployment under Democratic presidents than under their Republican counterparts. But only one study has examined whether the apparently more prosperous economy during Democratic administrations has come at the cost of higher inflation, and that study reached inconclusive results. We reexamine that question and find a positive association between…
Political science (14 works) · Law (13 works) · Law (11 works) · Politics (11 works) · Supreme court (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Economics (5 works) · Judicial and Constitutional Studies (5 works) · Legal and Constitutional Studies (5 works) · American Constitutional Law and Politics (4 works)