Composition and appointment process

• what can the Suprme Court do through judicial review?

  • Can update the meaning of the words of the Constitution

  • Has involved itself in political issues

  • Ensures all branches comply with the constitution

  • Can interpret the constitution in modern day
• was judicial review in the constitution?

  no - It 'found' it in the 1803 case Marbury v Maddison. This was the first time that the Supreme Court declared an Act of Congress, unconstitutional.
• who is the current Chief Justice?

  John G Roberts jr.
• how many justices are there?

  9
• how many republican / conservative justices are there?

  6
• what is judicial philosophy?

  means a theory about how justices go about deciding policy issues that come before them, whereas an ideology would refer to what one would like the justices to decide.
• who was the biggest swing justice until 2018?

  Anthony Kennedy
• what did the fischer case show?

  the supreme court makes judgements that do not split neatly along liberal and conservative lines
• what are the stages in becoming a supreme court judge

  - vacancy arises

  - search and pools recruitment

  - presidential announcement

  - senate judiciary committee

  - nomination is debated and voted on
• why are supreme court nominations so important

  - they occur infrequently

  - appointments are for life

  - only nine members at one time

  - the power of judicial review