Listen "A Historic Moment for Supreme Court Reform"
Episode Synopsis
It’s time to reform the Supreme Court. The founders would not recognize the modern incarnation of what Alexander Hamilton called “the least dangerous” branch. The Court wields far more power on far more issues than it did in the 18th century. And it does so in the absence of adequate checks and balances. The individual justices hold this power longer than they ever have. For the first 180 years of U.S. history, justices served an average of approximately 15 years. In recent years, justices have served an average of 26 years. Momentum for reform is growing. Numerous polls have shown overwhelming bipartisan support for term limits and an enforceable code of ethics. The president and vice president have both announced their support for real change. Listen to this discussion from August 13th with Supreme Court experts to talk about what exactly these proposals entail and what they would mean for American democracy. Speakers: Cristina Rodríguez, Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Co-Chair, Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States Diane Wood, Circuit Judge (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Director, American Law Institute; Senior Lecturer, University of Chicago Law School Alicia Bannon, Director, Judiciary Program, Brennan Center for Justice; Editor in Chief, State Court Report Moderator: Michael Waldman, President, Brennan Center; Member, Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States Produced with support from the Kohlberg Center on the U.S. Supreme Court Please give us a boost by liking, subscribing, and sharing with your friends. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, please give it a 5-star rating. You can keep up with the Brennan Center’s work by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Briefing: https://go.brennancenter.org/briefing
More episodes of the podcast The Briefing with Michael Waldman
Does the Constitution Still Work?
02/12/2025
Troops in American Cities
17/11/2025
Keeping a Democracy (with Joyce Vance)
07/11/2025
The Power of the Purse
03/11/2025
Justice Weaponized
28/10/2025
Paying for Power
16/10/2025
Supreme Court Preview
07/10/2025
The Campaign to Undermine the Midterms
25/09/2025
The Next Phase of the Fight
09/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.