Slides Available for Bommarito et al., Distance Measures for Dynamic Citation Networks @ Political Networks Conference 2010

Michael James Bommarito II, Daniel Martin Katz, & Jon Zelner, all of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Center for Study of Complex Systems, & Professor James H. Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, Department of Political Science, presented their paper entitled Distance Measures for Dynamic Citation Networks at the Political Networks Conference 2010, held 19-21 May 2010 at the Duke University Department of Political Science, in Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Click here for the presentation slides at Computational Legal Studies.

Here is the abstract of the paper:

Acyclic digraphs arise in many natural and artificial processes. Among the broader set, dynamic citation networks represent a substantively important form of acyclic digraphs. For example, the study of such networks includes the spread of ideas through academic citations, the spread of innovation through patent citations, and the development of precedent in common law systems. The specific dynamics that produce such acyclic digraphs not only differentiate them from other classes of graphs, but also provide guidance for the development of meaningful distance measures. In this article, we develop and apply our sink distance measure together with the single-linkage hierarchical clustering algorithm to both a two-dimensional directed preferential attachment model as well as empirical data drawn from the first quarter century of decisions of the United States Supreme Court. Despite applying the simplest combination of distance measures and clustering algorithms, analysis reveals that more accurate and more interpretable clusterings are produced by this scheme.

Lupu & Voeten on The Role of Precedent at the European Court of Human Rights: A Network Analysis of Case Citations

Yonatan Lupu of the University of California, San Diego Department of Political Science and Professor Erik Voeten of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, have posted The Role of Precedent at the European Court of Human Rights: A Network Analysis of Case Citations. The authors presented the paper at the 2010 Political Networks Conference, held 19-21 May 2010 at the Duke University Department of Political Science in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Here is the abstract of the paper:

While political scientists have become increasingly interested in the output of international courts, they have paid little attention to the manner by which these courts justify their decisions and develop legal norms. We address these issues through a network analysis of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) citations. We argue that, like domestic review courts, the ECtHR uses its legal justifications at least in part to convince “lower” (domestic) courts of the legitimacy of its judgments. Several empirical observations are consistent with this view. First, country-specific factors do not determine the case-law on which the Court relies. Instead, it cites precedent based on the legal issues in the case. Second, the Court is more careful to embed judgments in its existing case law with respect to the more politically sensitive decisions. Third, the court embeds its judgments in case-law more when the respondent government is from a common law legal system where the courts traditionally rely more on similar justifications. In all, we conclude that the ECtHR by and large uses case law to justify its decisions in a way that is similar to domestic review courts. Finally, we highlight the utility of applying network analysis to further study the development of international legal norms.

Thanks to Professor Voeten for the URL of the paper.