How should judges be chosen?
Following a suggestion from a reader in Taiwan, I’ve added a paragraph to my web essay on “A Short Guide To The American Political System” to point out that, below federal level, the overwheming majority of American judges are elected whereas, in virtually every other country, they are selected in some way.
Nationwide 87% of all state court judges are elected and 39 states elect at least some of their judges. Outside of the United States, however, there are only two nations that have judicial elections and then only in limited fashion. Smaller Swiss cantons elect judges and appointed justices on the Japanese Supreme Court must sometimes face retention elections (although those elections are a formality).
You can read more about the American system of electing judges and the advantages and disadvantages of this system in this “New York Times” article.