As
the U.S. Supreme Court began its 2016 term with eight justices, the Court stood
“at the threshold of an ideological transformation unmatched in nearly a half
century.”[1]
Not since 1968, when Richard Nixon was elected U.S. President, had such an
opportunity presented itself. Nixon’s four nominations ended the liberal
majority begun by Franklin Roosevelt’s eight.[2]
The conservative majority begun with Nixon’s nominations was up for grabs with
the 2016 presidential election. I submit that the legitimacy of the ideological
dimension itself dwarfs the matter of which
ideology is dominant on the Court.
The full essay is at "Political Ideology in the U.S. Supreme Court."
[1]
Richard Wolf, “Court at Brink of Transformation,” USA Today, September 30 – October 2, 2016.
[2]
Ibid.