Bloomberg Law
Oct. 18, 2016, 2:36 PM UTC

How Partisanship Has Shaded the U.S. Supreme Court: QuickTake

Bloomberg Media

By Laurie Asseo, Bloomberg News

America’s founding fathers didn’t want a dominating federal government. So they split its powers among Congress, the president and the courts. The top judicial body, the Supreme Court, is made up of justices nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. If the justices then meet the Constitution’s sole requirement for the job — “good Behaviour” in the original text — they remain on the court until voluntary retirement or death. The system was designed to keep these judges free from election pressures. Nevertheless, the court’s decisions on issues including race relations and presidential reach have become more polarized ...

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