Date of Award
Summer 2023
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Brad Epperly
Second Advisor
Tobias Heinrich
Abstract
This dissertation addresses three fundamental questions regarding the politics of prosecutorial behavior. Specifically, it examines how the selectors of prosecutors influence prosecutorial decision-making under different selection methods, including electionbased systems and appointment-based systems. By using a political responsiveness framework and utilizing empirical strategies, including an experiment and the construction of prosecutor policy position data, this study offers novel insights into the subject. First, I find that voters care about prosecutors’ issue positions and rely on various cues to identify candidates whose policy positions align with their preferences, even in low-information elections. Second, elections show promise as a mechanism for holding elected prosecutors accountable, with a stronger connection between prosecutors and public preferences observed under high electoral pressure. Third, the governor’s selection effect shapes the policy alignment between prosecutors and political elites in appointment-based systems.
Rights
© 2023, Yu-Hsien Sung
Recommended Citation
Sung, Y.(2023). Prosecutorial Discretion: District Attorneys, Public Opinion,and the Localized Rule of Law. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7417