As part of the University
of
Michigan’s
Complex
Systems Seminar Series, LSA
Dean Andrew Martin spoke
Thursday afternoon at West
Hall
about
the
“Martin-
Quinn” scores, a measurement
of the liberal or conservative
ideologies of U.S. Supreme
Court justices, which Martin
researched
and
developed
with Kevin Quinn from the
University of California at
Berkeley’s School of Law in
2002.
Martin and Quinn’s model
encompasses every member
of the court from October
1937 to October 2015. It
was referenced in multiple
academic journals, and most
recently in a New York Times
article on the Supreme Court.
“I think the model does a
quite reasonable job of telling
us something about the U.S.
Supreme
Court,”
Martin
said. “The overall project
goal is that we were trying
to accomplish is to develop a
structural model of revealed
preferences, the preferences
of the nine justices who sit on
the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Martin
said
the
model
focuses a lot on the “median”
justice of the Supreme Court,
the one who sits in the middle
of the ideological spectrum
and is an indicator of how the
court’s ideology will impact
decisions.
The
“median”
justice is especially important
for the future ideological
balance of the court in the
wake of conservative Justice
Antonin Scalia’s passing last
February, leaving the Court
with only eight justices.
“The passing of Justice
Scalia has put the Supreme
Court
at
a
crossroads,”
Martin is quoted as saying
on the LSA website. “If a
Democrat appoints the next
justice who is confirmed,
then
Justice
Breyer
will
become the median justice
and the liberals will control
the court for the first time
in a generation. On the other
hand, if a Republican appoints
the
next
justice
who
is
confirmed, Justice Kennedy
will once again become the
median justice.”
Martin
said
Thursday
that scholars try to make
inferences about the past
based on the model, but
reiterated
that
playing
hypotheticals
like
these
are unrealistic. He said it is
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D–
Dearborn) announced recently
that the University of Michigan
would receive three awards
from
the
National
Science
Foundation.
A
cumulative
$8,062,199 will span across
three separate academic areas
to combat a diverse range of
global issues.
“This
NSF
funding
will
go towards advancements
in
STEM
education,
manufacturing
systems
and
food
production
that
will
help solve some of our most
pressing challenges and ensure
we continue to lead in a 21st
century
global
economy,”
Dingell said in press release.
The largest of the three
awards, $2,999,968, will be
allocated to a project called
“Advancing Technologies and
Improving Communication of
Urine-Derived Fertilizers for
Food Production within a Risk-
Based Framework,” which aims
to convert human urine into a
safe fertilizer for agricultural
crops.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, September 9, 2016
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INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 131
©2016 The Michigan Daily
NEWS......................... 2A
OPINION.....................4A
CL ASSIFIEDS............... 5A
SUDOKU..................... 2A
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A
FO OT BAL L SAT U R DAY. .1B
Democratic
presidential
nominee
Hillary
Clinton
hosted a press call with college
students
from
across
the
country Thursday morning,
discussing her commitment
to younger voters. The call
followed a recent push by the
Clinton campaign to engage
with more reporters.
Clinton has only recently
started talking directly with
reporters
again
after
not
holding any press conferences
since the start of 2016. On
Monday,
she
announced
she would allow her press
pool — the team of reporters
designated to cover every
aspect of Clinton’s campaign
— to travel on her plane.
During most presidential
election years, the candidates
begin traveling with a press
pool shortly after the official
nomination
at
respective
conventions. This year, both
Clinton
and
Republican
presidential nominee Donald
Trump have been much more
reluctant than usual to allow
their respective press pools
to fly with them. Trump
still uses his personal plane
without the press on board,
See CLINTON, Page 3A
ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily
Students socalize at the LGBT Queer Welcome Carnival at Regents Plaza Thursday.
GOVERNMENT
The University of Michigan’s
Spectrum Center hosted their
second
annual
LGBT
Queer
Welcome Carnival Thursday in
Regents Plaza, greeting students
with free T-shirts, cotton candy,
popcorn and carnival games.
Some carnival attendees were
returning students, while others
were new students coming to
their first LGBTQ community
event. Several students noted
the welcoming and inclusive
environment characterizing the
event.
“I think it’s really cool to see
friendly faces and see that they
are welcoming and that it’s a
safe space,” said Engineering
freshman Jazmyn Rivera. “It’s
great to have a community that
you belong to on campus.”
Attendees
also
included
international students who were
experiencing
everything
the
Spectrum Center has to offer for
the first time, allowing them the
opportunity to reflect on themes
of diversity and inclusion.
“Coming from a country where
it is a taboo topic, this (welcome
See AWARD, Page 2A
RESEARCH
DAVID SONG/Daily
LSA Dean Andrew Martin presents initial assumptions and conditions for research regarding the Supreme Court at
West Hall Thursday.
Only in Harrison
Jourdan Lewis spent one of
his rare weekends off going
to a small town that he won’t
soon forget.
» Page 4B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
Washtenaw County Prosecutor
Brian Mackie will face a challenge
at the ballots this November from
a grassroots activist who aims to
bring police accountability and
voter engagement to the forefront
of county politics.
Mackie’s challenger is D’Real
Graham,
program
coordinator
for 826michigan — a volunteer
educational organization. Graham
said he wants the role of county
prosecutor to be more visible to
the public so voters will make
informed decisions and not blindly
vote along party lines.
“When
you
think
about
corrections and who is making
decisions,
when
you
identify
leadership, the county prosecutor
is high on the list,” Graham said.
“If we are hoping to have local
officials ready to amplify our
values we have to know them, we
have to talk to them, we have to
challenge them.”
A
teacher
professionally,
Graham hopes to increase civic
engagement at the local level and
greater transparency overall.
“If we don’t understand how
See PROSECUTOR, Page 3A
ANN ARBOR
See DEAN, Page 2A
See CARNIVAL, Page 3A
Clinton talks
importance
of registering
young voters
Spectrum Center hosts second
LGBT Queer Welcome Carnival
After hiatus with media, nominee
discusses higher education in press call
LYDIA MURRAY
Daily Staff Reporter
Event aims to foster community and inclusivity as new semester begins
ALEX COTT
Daily Staff Reporter
NSF grants
University
more than
$8 million
Money slated to go
to several projects in
STEM fields
WILL FEUER
Daily Staff Reporter
Dean Martin discusses power vacuum
on Supreme Court after Scalia’s death
Professor develops model to gauge ideological preferences of justices
CALEB CHADWELL
Daily Staff Reporter
Prosecutor
candidate
focuses on
city police
D’Real Graham calls
for series of reforms to
AAPD
ISHI MORI
Daily Staff Reporter