Circuit Riders, Midnight Appointments, and Packed Benches: A History of the Supreme Court

Hi patrons! This episode is yet another political topic. With the topic of Supreme Court expansion in the public discourse after the controversial confirmations of justices nominated by Donald Trump, I look at the history and structure of the Supreme Court, the changing size of its bench, and the historical basis of arguments for judicial reform. Pledge at Patreon before Dec. 1st to be entered to win a pair of Sudio earbuds, and shop at Sudio.com from the 23rd-30th of November for 35% off earbuds, headphones, and speakers, PLUS an additional 10% off when you use the promo code "historical"! Donate at paypal.me/NathanLeviLloyd or support the show by signing up for a 2-week trial of The Great Courses Plus or a 30-day trial of Audible. Some music on this episode is copyright Alex Kish. Visit AlexKishMusic.com and contact him to get compositions for your own projects. Other background tracks, including "Brand New World," "September," "Meekness," "November," "July," and "daemones" are by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0). Additional music, "Ambiment" and "Drone in D," by Kevin MacLeod, also licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices