HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Court-Packing Plans Threaten Civil Liberties and the Separation of Powers

Views:956
@ReasonVids

Ilya Somin of "The Volokh Conspiracy" discusses the dangers of liberal proposals to pack the Supreme Court.
------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/reasontv
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magaz...
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Subscribe to our podcast at Apple Podcasts: https://goo.gl/az3a7a

Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------
After the death of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace him. A moderate liberal, Garland likely would have shifted the balance of the high court to the left. But Senate Republicans refused to hold a hearing on Garland's nomination until after the presidential elections—which saw Donald Trump elected to the White House, effectively ending any hopes for Garland's appointment to the highest court in the land.

Once in office, Trump nominated the conservative judge Neil Gorsuch to replace Scalia. When Justice Kennedy—the high court's most frequent swing vote—retired, Trump chose the solidly conservative Brett Kavanagh to take his spot. Liberals, concerned that a conservative majority may dominate the Court for a generation and overturn key precedents like Roe v. Wade, have responded by calling for expanding the Supreme Court to include as many as 15 justices. Several presidential candidates, including Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Kirsten Gillibrand have endorsed proposals to alter the makeup of the supreme court, with former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder saying the idea of court packing should be "seriously" considered.

The idea of expanding Supreme Court membership hearkens back to the 1930s when FDR aggressively pushed the idea of court-packing because his New Deal policies were being declared unconstitutional.

"If court-packing does happen and you get this cycle of retaliation, this quite valuable institution would be undermined," says Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University and contributor to The Volokh Conspiracy blog. "Protections for our civil liberties, for separation of power, for limits on the power of federal government—all of that would be significantly weakened over time."

Somin sat down with Reason to discuss the revival of court-packing proposals on the left and how they could undermine the institution of judicial review.

Produced by Alexis Garcia. Camera by Meredith Bragg and Todd Krainin.

Photo credits: Pete Souza/ZUMA Press/Newscom, Cheriss May/ZUMA Press/Newscom, Ron Sachs/picture-alliance/Consolidated/Newscom, Doug Mills/picture-alliance/Consolidated/Newscom, Between the wars/UPPA/Photoshot/Newscom, Kevin Dietsch-Pool via CNP/MEGA/Newscom, akg-images/Newscom, Mark Hertzberg/ZUMA Press/Newscom.

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
supreme court
,
scotus
,
justices
,
judge
,
judiciary
,
donald trump
,
barack obama
,
merrick garland
,
fdr
,
franklin d roosevelt
,
neil gorsuch
,
republicans
,
convervatives
,
liberals
,
democrats
,
president
,
election
,
civil liberties
    Thumbnail for Today's Anti-Immigration Script Was Written 100 Years Ago by America's Elite36:58
    Today's Anti-Immigration Script Was Written 100 Years Ago by America's Elite
    ReasonVids
    1007 views
    Thumbnail for Local Rabbit Runs Away From Degenerate Viewers (Pipkin Pippa) [Phase Connect] | DANDAN THE DANDAN1:21
    Local Rabbit Runs Away From Degenerate Viewers (Pipkin Pippa) [Phase Connect] | DANDAN THE DANDAN
    invidious
    453 views
    Thumbnail for Ravers vs. The Man: CA Bans LED Gloves and Pacifiers5:48
    Ravers vs. The Man: CA Bans LED Gloves and Pacifiers
    ReasonVids
    924 views
    Thumbnail for High quality competitive sport0:53
    High quality competitive sport
    bestofupgoat
    98 views
    Thumbnail for วันเดียวถล่มตายเกือบ 500! อิสราเอลเผด็จศึกเฮซบอลเลาะห์ลุย! : Suthichai live 24-9-6731:46
    วันเดียวถล่มตายเกือบ 500! อิสราเอลเผด็จศึกเฮซบอลเลาะห์ลุย! : Suthichai live 24-9-67
    invidious
    146 views
    Thumbnail for The image search algo knows what's up0:20
    The image search algo knows what's up
    bestofvoatxyz
    695 views
    Thumbnail for PCM Idle Learn Procedure for Honda Accord | Genius Asian3:39
    PCM Idle Learn Procedure for Honda Accord | Genius Asian
    cars.topic
    552 views
    Thumbnail for 36 States are Suing Google | Grunt Speak Highlights3:52
    36 States are Suing Google | Grunt Speak Highlights
    Terrence Popp
    1200 views
    Thumbnail for Joel Stein on His "Stupid Quest for Masculinity"6:35
    Joel Stein on His "Stupid Quest for Masculinity"
    ReasonVids
    889 views
    Thumbnail for Reloading in real life can fail unlike games. | Python0:49
    Reloading in real life can fail unlike games. | Python
    invidious
    404 views
    Thumbnail for Hayleigh McEnany Makes Fake News Reporter Regret Trying To Bait Her With Question About Pro-Trump Violence1:52
    Hayleigh McEnany Makes Fake News Reporter Regret Trying To Bait Her With Question About Pro-Trump Violence
    AOU
    1490 views
    Thumbnail for Are You Ready for 3D-Printed Pancakes? What We Saw at the Bay Area Maker Faire4:18
    Are You Ready for 3D-Printed Pancakes? What We Saw at the Bay Area Maker Faire
    ReasonVids
    921 views
    Thumbnail for Connor Bedard announces the Winter Classic! ❄️🏒 | NHL0:39
    Connor Bedard announces the Winter Classic! ❄️🏒 | NHL
    invidious
    304 views
    Thumbnail for Opening to The Lion King 2000 VHS15:06
    Opening to The Lion King 2000 VHS
    knezzm33
    440 views
    Thumbnail for How to Grow a City in Honduras, Part IV: Citizens as Shareholders4:37
    How to Grow a City in Honduras, Part IV: Citizens as Shareholders
    ReasonVids
    954 views
    Thumbnail for Why Men Dominate Chess4:50
    Why Men Dominate Chess
    bestofupgoat
    443 views
    Thumbnail for Will American food eventually become edible?5:44
    Will American food eventually become edible?
    bestofupgoat
    137 views
    Thumbnail for Have you ever tried Nasi Lemak? 😍 | Wild Cookbook0:53
    Have you ever tried Nasi Lemak? 😍 | Wild Cookbook
    invidious
    161 views
    Thumbnail for JS Browser7:02
    JS Browser
    x0x7
    94 views
    Thumbnail for High risk hill 20:07
    High risk hill 2
    AOUisgay
    403 views
    Thumbnail for Scary School Teacher - Spooky Cartoon #shorts #halloween #song | Kids Tv - Spooky Cartoons0:53
    Scary School Teacher - Spooky Cartoon #shorts #halloween #song | Kids Tv - Spooky Cartoons
    invidious
    331 views
    Thumbnail for What Writer Most Turned You on to Freedom? Or, What We Heard at Reason's Bastiat Prize Dinner.2:40
    What Writer Most Turned You on to Freedom? Or, What We Heard at Reason's Bastiat Prize Dinner.
    ReasonVids
    923 views
    Thumbnail for Yajirobe Eating Cymbal | Spaghetti Hair1:29
    Yajirobe Eating Cymbal | Spaghetti Hair
    invidious
    365 views
    Thumbnail for So many fun friends! 1:27
    So many fun friends!
    bestofupgoat
    46 views
    Thumbnail for The Case for Gun Control Is Dead2:28
    The Case for Gun Control Is Dead
    ReasonVids
    1048 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
,
supreme court
,
scotus
,
justices
,
judge
,
judiciary
,
donald trump
,
barack obama
,
merrick garland
,
fdr
,
franklin d roosevelt
,
neil gorsuch
,
republicans
,
convervatives
,
liberals
,
democrats
,
president
,
election
,
civil liberties
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle