Judicial Tenure on the U.S. Supreme Court, 1790–1868: Frustration, Resignation, and Expiration on the Bench

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L Vining ◽  
Christopher Zorn ◽  
Susan Navarro Smelcer
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Chief Justice ◽  
Step Down ◽  
The U.S

After more than a decade of membership stability, the U.S. Supreme Court experienced a pair of vacancies following its 2004–2005 term. In July 2005, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her intention to retire. It is widely believed that her own health, that of her husband, and the favorable political environment influenced her decision to step down in January 2006. In the interim, Chief Justice William Rehnquist, after struggling with ill health for many months, passed away on 3 September 2005, becoming the first sitting justice to die in more than five decades.

Part 3 Institutional Control of Constitutionalism, 3.5 The Last Defender of Constitutional Reason? Pakistan’s Embattled Supreme Court

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khan Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Political History ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Judicial Activism ◽  
Institutional Control ◽  
Chief Justice ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of

This chapter begins with a brief overview of the constitutional and political history of Pakistan. It then discusses how the judiciary in general, and the Supreme Court in particular, had to function in a difficult and complex constitutional and political environment during the last sixty years. It details acts of judicial activism; efforts of lawyers throughout Pakistan to restore the status quo in the judiciary as it had existed on November 2, 2007; and the challenges faced by the restored Chief Justice and the Supreme Court.

Public Opinion and Setting the Agenda on the U.S. Supreme Court

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda C. Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Public Support ◽  
American People ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
First Case ◽  
Setting Process ◽  
The U.S

Arguably the most influential power the U.S. Supreme Court has is the power to choose which cases to decide. This power allows the nation’s only unelected branch of government to choose either to weigh in on key political controversies or avoid them completely. Here, I take one of the first case-level looks at the role of public opinion in the Court’s agenda-setting process. I argue justices vote to hear cases when they are likely to agree with public opinion on the outcome and eschew cases when they are out of step with the American people. However, the effect of public opinion depends on the political environment, especially on the level of public support the Court enjoys, the salience of the issue, and the case’s legal importance.

scholarly journals No home court advantage: The trump impeachment trial and attitudes toward the U.S. Supreme Court

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 205316802110530
Author(s):  
Miles T Armaly ◽  
Adam M Enders
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The Political ◽  
Willingness To Accept ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
Chief Justice ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Although the U.S. Supreme Court goes to great lengths to avoid the “political thicket,” it is sometimes unwittingly pulled in. We employ several experimental treatments—each of which is composed of real behaviors that took place during the Trump impeachment trial—to understand the impact of the trial on attitudes about the Court. We find that Chief Justice Roberts’ presence and behaviors during the trial failed to legitimize the proceeding and may have even harmed views of the Court. Treatments involving Roberts’ actions decreased willingness to accept Court decisions and, in some cases, negatively impacted perceived legitimacy. We also find that criticisms of the Chief Justice by Senators decreased decision acceptance. These findings clarify both the bounds of the institution’s legitimizing power and the tenuous nature of public support in times of greater Court politicization by outside actors.

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