PERCEPTIONS OF CIVIL JUSTICE - THE LITIGATION CRISIS ATTITUDES OF CIVIL JURORS

Public perceptions that the civil justice system is in crisis are appa rently widespread, but little is known about the causes or correlates of such views, This article analyzes the litigation crisis attitudes o f a sample of civil jurors. Like the public, jurors endorsed a number of statements suggesting that there is a litigation crisis. Factor ana lysis identified two independent components: general concern over exce ssive litigation, and criticism of the civil jury. Litigation crisis v iews were found in all demographic and attitudinal subgroups. However, attitudes about the civil justice system were related to the responde nt's political efficacy, claims consciousness, belief in a just world, age, religion, and race.