History and Cases Shaping a Nation
Welcome to the CQ Press Supreme Court Collection, a destination for authoritative information and data on cases, justices, and the history and power of the U.S. Supreme Court. Researchers will find the data and tools to answer questions about justices and their opinions and behavior.
The latest Supreme Court news and analysis from legal affairs expert Kenneth Jost.
Packing and Unpacking the Supreme Court through American History – November 9, 2020
The Constitution provides that the “judicial power” of the United States is “vested in one Supreme Court” and such inferior courts as Congress may create, but it does not specify the number of judges on the Supreme Court. Through history, Congress has changed the number of justices seven times, sometimes because of the country’s geographical expansion and sometimes because of efforts to change the Court’s political orientation. In this Court Report, court expert Kenneth Jost discusses the history of justice number fluctuations throughout American history, putting in perspective recent discussions about expanding the current Court.
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