Supreme Court Appointment Process

The Supreme Court is commonly thought to be “above politics,” since they are there to just interpret the law and not argue politic, inevitably though, politics still manages to seep in. In fact the appointment of justices is, in reality, extremely political due to all the factors needed to be appointed. In order to be a justice three main characteristics are needed: ideology, ethnicity, and political experience. Each one has a profound impact in the appointment process. Interests groups are extremely concerned with the whole process because it could help or hurt the interests groups and it constitutions for generations if a justice is appointed that has contradictory views. Therefore, interest groups use two methods to influence the appointment process, advertisements and lobbying the Senate. Both have had major influence in the appointment process to help shift appointments in the interest groups favor. A main characteristic of a Supreme …show more content…
Until relatively recently, almost all federal judges were white males. Today, however, gender are important criteria for appointing judges. In 1967, Lyndon Johnson appointed the first African American Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall. In 1981, Ronald Reagan appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor. All recent presidents have appointed African Americans, Latinos, members of other ethnic minority groups, and women to district courts and courts of appeal. The president wants ethnic diversity in order for the public to feel that the top Court is looking out for everyone not just the white males, as it was years ago. Additionally, when the election time rolls around the President will be able to get lations votes or african American, which he previously may not have had. Now with him nomination a latino or african american judge he will get his votes. Ethnicity and the appointment process in al i extremely