The Supreme Court Crisis

Washington Monthly Releases November / December 2022 Issue

‌ ‌ ‌ November / December 2022 Issue As our legal affairs editor, Garrett Epps, writes in this issue’s cover story, the Supreme Court has undergone an utter transformation since 2016, from a tenuously balanced panel that at least strove toward the appearance of nonpartisanship to an institution as politically brazen as the Republican National Committee.   Epps tracks how Donald Trump, enabled by the machinations of Mitch McConnell and the Federalist Society, bullied, cajoled, threatened, and enticed his way to control of the Court. Key moments sped the dissolution of judicial independence as we once knew it: the blockade of Merrick Garland, Brett Kavanaugh’s rageful Senate testimony, Trump’s repeated attacks on federal judges who ruled against him, and Amy Coney Barrett’s rushed confirmation, as well as the new justices’ political pilgrimages to Kentucky and their public disdain for criticism. Twice before in history, the Supreme Court has allowed itself to become an arm of one political party, with catastrophic results. In the 1850s, the Taney Court sided with pro-slavery forces and issued the infamous Dred Scott decision, accelerating the tensions that led to the Civil War. In the 1930s, the Hughes Court blocked desperately needed economic relief as the Great Depression ravaged America. Today, a conservative supermajority takes away long-established rights like abortion, decides cases by the unaccountable shadow docket, and makes overtly partisan statements while sneering at public outcry. We are now in the Court’s third great constitutional crisis. Enjoy the issue! Washington Monthly Editors COVER STORY The Court's Third Great Crisis Twice before in history, the Supreme Court has allowed itself to become an arm of one political party, with catastrophic results. Only the voters can save us from the same fate today. By Garrett Epps FEATURES Why I Can't Afford to Live Where I Grew Up I’m a proud daughter of Arlington, Virginia. But its land use policies are keeping homeownership out of reach for natives like me. By Gabby Birenbaum The Electricity Is Too Damn High High prices at corporate-owned EV charging stations could cripple the spread of climate-friendly transportation. We need to help the mom-and-pops compete. By Merrill Goozner Affirmative Action for Lax Bros A closer look at the Harvard admissions case now before the Supreme Court shows that it’s whites who benefit most from discrimination against Asians. By Reginald C. Oh To Save the Planet, Divide and Conquer Democrats make progress on climate change when they set business lobbies against each other. By Bill Scher The Newest Democratic Fight to Make Vote by Mail Easier Now, Republicans want to force voters to sign up for a mail-in ballot each election in Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, and across the country. They could pay a price for once again stepping on rights. By Prem Thakker ED NOTE The Vote-by-Mail Switcheroo By Paul Glastris TEN MILES SQUARE The Tipping Point D.C.’s restaurant industry has defeated efforts to raise the minimum wage for restaurant workers before. This year, advocates believe they have a winning campaign. By Will Norris BOOKS How the Republican Fringe Became the Mainstream Conspiracy theorists and far-right fanatics have long been present in the GOP. Now, they’re running it. By Jacob Heilbrunn A Woman's Right to Not Be in the News Privacy law has traditionally helped powerful men at the expense of vulnerable women. Can it be recast? By Rhoda Feng Do Prisons Need to Be Hellholes? Thanks to bipartisan efforts, the number of incarcerated Americans has shrunk dramatically. The next step for reform is to treat inmates more humanely. By Harold Pollack How Hospital Monopolies Drive Up the Cost of Care Hospitals were never meant to be operated like businesses. To improve our health care system, hospital concentration must be regulated. By Shannon Brownlee Late Corporatism Since ancient times, corporations have tended to devour the societies that created them. But history shows they can also be tamed. By Rob Wolfe Support the Washington Monthly Help us stay ahead of the game when it comes to the big ideas that will make or break the fortunes of American liberalism in 2022 and beyond. Please consider making a donation or subscribing to our print magazine. © 2022 Washington Monthly, wholly owned by Washington Monthly Corporation, a District of Columbia 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Washington Monthly trademark is registered in U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Washington Monthly 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 330 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-955-9010 Fax: 202-955-9011

Washington Monthly | 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 330, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe franchmaverickk.secretwords123@blogger.com Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by editors@washingtonmonthly.com powered by Try email marketing for free today!