Has the US Supreme Court lost its legitimacy? What kinds of reforms might restore its legitimacy?
Following the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett during the 2020 presidential election, the US Supreme Court majority held a conservative worldview that was not reflective of the popular votes for US president and continued the journey of the court in deciding cases that were unpopular among the majority of Americans. This past summer, several Supreme Court justices gave speeches and interviews proclaiming that the court was not political and was deserving of its historical standing as the protector of the US Constitution. Does the US Supreme Court face a legitimacy crisis? Doug Becker speaks with Christopher W. Schmidt, Richard Pacelle Jr., and Eric J. Segall.
Christopher W. Schmidt is a Professor of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is an expert in constitutional law and is the author of The Sit-Ins: Protest and Legal Change in the Civil Rights Era.
Richard Pacelle Jr. is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is an expert in American government and is the co-author of Decision Making by the Modern Supreme Court.
Eric J. Segall is a Professor of Law at Georgia State University. He is an expert in constitutional law and is the author of Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not Judges.
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