The president-elect is something new in American politics. In showing unfailing respect for those with competing views, he attempts to produce solutions that will accommodate the defining commitments of his fellow citizens. But he also wants to transform the nation’s self-understanding.
John McCain has promised to appoint conservative Supreme Court justices who could radically alter the ideological makeup of the court.
Who are the real activists on the U.S. Supreme Court? Do Republican appointees differ from Democratic appointees? How much? Are federal judges political?
I have been studying these issues with several colleagues, including Thomas Miles, an economist and lawyer at the University of Chicago Law School, for a number of years now. One big question: Do [...]