"A more workable change would be to appoint justices for single 18-year terms—staggered, so that each president gets two appointments per term—rather than for life. Each presidential term would thus leave an equal mark on the court, and no single justice would remain on the bench for 30 or 40 years. New blood would make the court more vital and dynamic. A poll taken in July showed widespread bipartisan support for term limits. So long as former justices were prevented from standing for office, becoming lobbyists or lawyers after stepping down from the court, this would be an improvement."
"The core problem here is the stakes of Supreme Court nominations: They’re too damn high. Candidates serve for life — which, given modern longevity and youthful nominees, can now mean 40 years of decisions — and no one knows when the next seat will open. President Jimmy Carter served four years and saw no open seats. President George H.W. Bush served four years and filled two. Barack Obama served two terms and confirmed two justices. Donald Trump isn’t even two years into his presidency and, thanks to McConnell’s assist with Merrick Garland, he’s already filled the same number of vacancies as Obama did in eight. The result isn’t merely an undemocratic branch of government but a randomly undemocratic branch of government. And that randomness, and the stakes of seeing it play out in your side’s favor, turn Supreme Court nominations into bloodsport."
I am fairly neutral about the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.🙄 While I kind of liked Neil Gorsuch, as a hunter and outdoorsman, I can’t really say that about Kavanaugh, who strikes me as little more then just another conservative vote on the court. 🏛Kavanaugh is just another prep-school, bratty suburbanite who has never left the land of marble countertops and brass door handles, not somebody of real intellect or a passion for seeking justice — one who got away with raping girls when he was young based on his economic privilege.🤑
But I do think he will be good for protecting the second amendment and our rights to own guns, hunt and fish, 🔫 and limiting the size and scope of the federal government in many parts of our lives. We could finally see some more progress on second amendment — which would be wonderful news for many Americans. I am more skeptical on his views on limiting police powers, and protecting the first amendment and the rights of those accused of wrong doing by the government. I also wonder what his small government beliefs will be on efforts to control pollution by large corporate polluters? Or healthcare, labor and social justice?
Ultimately, I have very little say on who is on the US Supreme Court. 👪 It’s not my appointment to make. I voted for Jill Stein for President in 2016, but evidently she didn’t win and elections have consequences or so I’m told. For the most part the decisions on the Supreme Court won’t impact my ordinary life, but it’s still a fascinating debate worthwhile to watch.🗞
I have always been a fan of the mandatory retirement at age 65 for all occupations, public and private. While with age, comes experience and knowledge, I think it's also important that people be able to have a chance to enjoy their final years.
Nobody advocates for letting 10 years old work, why should people in their 70s be forced to work?
It's really hard to know how long Supreme Court Justices will live. It's true that many will live until their 80s but life expectancy is largely random at micro level. A car crash or some other kind of accident could end the life of a justice prematurely.
With the Supreme Court confirmation process underway, maybe it's time to re-think how we elect US Senators in our country. It doesn't seem right that New York State gets the same number of Senators as Vermont, as New York has 31 times more people then Vermont.
In Reynolds v. Sims, the Supreme Court ruled that State Governments could not have Senate bodies, elected by one Senator per County. Instead, they had to use proportional representation. Maybe it's time for the Supreme Court to consider if the two US Senators for every state (regardless of population) is constitutional.