Presidents and their Justices

Judgeship Appointments By President

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From until , the Supreme Court consisted of only six justices. A seventh was added in , an eighth and ninth were added in , and a 10th in Then in , Congress passed a statute reducing the number back to the current nine. At that time, a year-old male nominated to the Supreme Court had a life expectancy of only 71 years. Today, justices often serve well into their 80s and life expectancy for a year-old male is now 80, and for a year-old female is Under our proposal, Congress could pass a law that stipulates a president would get two nominees, and only two nominees, to the Supreme Court per four-year term.

If that nominee were rejected by the Senate, the president would get to keep nominating until one was successfully confirmed. A death or resignation from the court would not entitle a president to name additional justices. Under our proposal, the Senate would have a legally binding obligation to confirm two nominees each presidential term. Of course, the Senate could still thumb their noses at any presidential nominee, as it did with Garland. We doubt that this would happen.

First, under our proposal, the president does not have to wait for a death or retirement of a justice to nominate. Instead, the president controls the time frame.

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If presidents make the nominations within several months of their election, we doubt that many Senates would have the temerity to vote down nominees for four years. The argument for delaying confirmation that has emerged since the unsuccessful Garland nomination has been the Senate controlled by the opposition party does not confirm nominees to the Supreme Court within a year of an upcoming presidential election.

As presidents would have the right to make nominations as soon as they assumed office, the Merrick Garland problem will likely never happen again. We suggest that Congress pass a statute requiring the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on any presidential nominee within two months. They would also be required to bring the issue to the floor for a roll call vote within a reasonable time, say four to six months of the nomination. Failure to meet these deadlines would result in automatic confirmation. Any senator could enforce these requirements.

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Some might think that this approach infringes on the constitutional powers of the Senate to make its own rules. Alternatively, if the Senate fails to meet these deadlines, the statute could imitate the procedures mandated by the budget reconciliation act and require the Senate to bring the nominee to the floor for a vote within a set period of time and prohibit filibuster, as the Senate has now done for judicial nominees.

If such a statute had been in effect starting in , the size of the Supreme Court would have fluctuated between seven and 14 justices. There is nothing else out there like it, and there doesn't need to be. Abraham's design was solidly conceived from the beginning, was well executed with his easy prose and solid scholarship, and deserves to be read by a new generation.

George Watson, Arizona State University The Law and Politics Book Review This latest edition of a book that first appeared in has become an indispensable reference for historians of the Court, and retains its character as a lively and useful examination of Supreme Court appointments and the evolution of the appointments process over time. With commendable even-handedness and good humor, Abraham has recounted the stories of the one hundred eight successful nominations to the Court and the many failed nominations some obscure, some spectacular.

His narrative is well-paced, cleanly written, and always accessible. Professor Abraham offers a lively history of our national politics, with a focus on the presidency and the Court. The story is colorful and fast-moving in his hands. The author is never reluctant to offer his opinion while serving up his narrative. His comments surely add to the distinctive flavor of the story. The author is remarkably even-handed in his analysis.

There is no partisan bias in his wry comments and choice of wording. Professor Abraham has long been the most respected scholar on this topic. This superlative book in its several editions has helped establish and maintain his reputation. It is highly rewarding and enjoyable reading. Would you like to tell us about a lower price? If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Totally revised and updated, this classic history of the members of the U. Supreme addresses the vital questions of why individual justices were nominated to the highest court, how their nominations were received, whether the appointees ultimately lived up to the expectations of the American public, and what their legacy was on the development of American law and society.

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Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Showing of 3 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. This is a terrific book. Each nomination is discussed in a conversational style. United States presidents and the federal judiciary. Roosevelt Truman Eisenhower Kennedy L.

Judicial appointment history for United States federal courts Washington J. Adams Jefferson Madison Monroe J.

List of Presidents of the United States by judicial appointments

List of Presidents List of Vice Presidents. Acting President Designated survivor Line of succession. Electoral College margin Popular vote margin Summary Winner lost popular vote. Senate vice presidential bust collection.

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Presidents actors Vice Presidents actors Candidates Line of succession. Retrieved from " https: Lists of United States judicial appointments by president Lists relating to the United States presidency.

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