A proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution

I’ve been thinking about how our system of appointing Supreme Court justices is flawed. Life expectancy is increasing and presidents are appointing younger justices now, who might serve thirty or forty years. If several positions open up during the same term, a single president has the ability to determine the course of the court for a generation.

Here’s the refinement I suggest: allow only one justice to be appointed during a particular presidential term. If another slot needs to be filled, appoint a temporary justice to serve until the next presidential term.

As we know from our history, many U.S. presidents are dimwits who should not be entrusted with this kind of legacy. This would spread the appointment of justices over more presidential terms, balancing things out a bit. It would not favor any particular position, such as liberal or conservative, but it would moderate the present randomness of the appointment process.

Someone help me get this enacted, okay?

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1 Comment

  1. Sure – I’ll get right on it (activating my Empress of the Universe powers right now).