Supreme Court Justices by Brandon Martinez https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir Alex Martinez en-us 2018-03-16 20:09:37 UTC 2018-03-16 20:19:13 UTC hello@padlet.com Choosing the Supreme Court Justices brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/242999651 As soon as a sitting justice announces his or her retirement, or if a justice dies, both the White House and the Senate Judiciary Committee begin working on the nomination process. ]]> 2018-03-16 20:10:37 UTC https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/242999651 brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/242999777  White House and Senate staff members conduct extensive research about the personal and judicial backgrounds of multiple candidates]]> 2018-03-16 20:11:13 UTC https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/242999777 brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/242999854  Presidents get a tremendous amount of advice from staff and advocacy groups and often interview a short list of candidates before announcing the nominee]]> 2018-03-16 20:11:35 UTC https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/242999854 brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243000665 The choice made by the president is a political decision: the president selects a nominee who is confirmable by the Senate. This is an example of a check on the power of the executive by the legislative branch that is built into the Constitution]]> 2018-03-16 20:15:48 UTC https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243000665 brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243000771 Once the president has chosen a candidate, he or she will be introduced to the public and announced as the nominee. The nominee begins working to get confirmed by the Senate, first by meeting with many senators, including typically, all those on the Senate Judiciary Committee. At the same time, staff from the White House begins to prepare the nominee for the confirmation hearing. At the hearing, senators ask the nominee questions about his or her qualifications and experiences for the job]]> 2018-03-16 20:16:27 UTC https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243000771 brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243000929 Senators are also interested in the approach the nominee will take to deciding controversial issues once on the Court. Once the senators complete their questioning—which takes place over a period of several days—the committee votes on whether or not to send the nomination forward to the entire Senate. If the nominee is not voted out of committee, the nomination dies there. If voted out of committee, the entire Senate then votes. A nominee who gets a majority of the votes cast in the Senate has received consent and will be sworn in as a new justice.]]> 2018-03-16 20:17:04 UTC https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243000929 Checks and Balances brandon_martinez2 https://padlet.com/brandon_martinez2/hpbwetoztcir/wish/243001283
While Supreme Court opinions affect millions of Americans’ lives, set law, and sometimes change national policies, the Court is not all-powerful. The executive and legislative branches have important checks on the Supreme Court’s power.


The president has the power to appoint justices, while the Senate has the power to approve or reject those appointments. Congress has the power to impeach and remove justices. Congress even decides how many justices will be on the Supreme Court and sets their salaries.


If the American people do not like a Supreme Court ruling, they can (through their elected representatives) change the law or the part of the Constitution that the Supreme Court interpreted. For example, think about a federal law that bans discrimination against people with disabilities. If the Supreme Court decides that the law means that private clubs need to install wheelchair ramps—but Americans disagree with that decision—then Congress can amend the law to exclude private clubs.


If the people do not like a Supreme Court ruling about the Constitution, however, they must go through the more difficult process of amending the Constitution. This has happened in the past. In an 1895 case, the Court ruled that a tax on incomes was unconstitutional. The Sixteenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, allowed Congress to levy an income tax.


In addition to these checks, remember that the justices can only decide issues that come to them through the court system in the form of legal cases. Those issues are limited to determining what a federal law means or deciding whether a law or government action is constitutional.



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