This is an Open Access book. Amid the growing debate about models of judicial governance and
their relationship to democratic quality this book offers a systematic and empirical study of
this relationship. The book thereby contributes to filling in this gap for the European
continent. Taking an interdisciplinary politics and law perspective and combining empirical
and theoretical considerations the book addresses the important link between democracy and
judicial governance. In particular it provides for three interconnected contributions. First
the book provides for a comprehensive classification of European countries into different
models of judicial governance. Second the book analyses empirically the relationship between
the design of judicial governance and the quality of democracy. Third building on those
findings the book presents policy reflections for the reform and improvement of mechanisms for
judicial governance in European countries. The book seeks to refine our knowledge about the
relationship between judicial governance and democracy making an important academic and social
contribution. In an era in which many democracies backslide and deconsolidate it assesses to
what extent existing mechanisms for judicial governance have contributed to the stability and
quality of democratic systems in which they are implemented. Furthermore the book puts forward
reflections to improve the role of organs for judicial governance in fostering the quality of
democracy. Since the book introduces in an accessible form key concepts of Judicial Governance
it will be of interest for the general public as well as academics and students in the fields
of Law and Political Science. The book also addresses policy makers as based on our empirical
knowledge about the interaction judicial governance and democracy it puts forward ideas for a
design of judicial governance that is more capable of protecting democratic systems of
government.
