G.O.D. and John Roberts

My latest at the Partial Observer. Excerpt:

Why do we make a big deal of the Supreme Court? Because they are politicians, but are unbeholden to special interests or the voters. As a group, they can make a difference; they can actually change the status quo. Think of abortion and racial integration. Decrees by the Supreme Court. No appeals, no votes by the people, no re-election campaigns, no accountability. Persuading just 4-8 of your colleges is a lot easier than persuading dozens, hundreds, or millions of them. Many people vote Democrat or Republican not because of those parties' economic or security policies, but because of the types of Supreme Court Justices they prefer. Many people think that the Supreme Court is where the action is, where change is made.

As opposed to the White House and Capitol Hill. Does meaningful change take place? Yes, but in just one direction: toward more centralized power.