President Joe Biden recently unveiled his plan to reform the Supreme Court. The proposals aim to counteract what he sees as a crisis of public confidence caused by decisions like the the overturning of a longstanding precedent in Roe v. Wade and the decision to grant broad immunity to presidents.
It also comes as ethics scandals continue to plague the court, from an investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas’ acceptance luxury gifts, to secret recordings of Justice Samuel Alito agreeing that the U.S. should return “to a place of godliness.”
Polls show most Americans are behind reform. According to a July Fox News national survey, approval of the court dropped to a record low of 38 percent. And according to a poll from earlier this month by USA Today and Ipsos, 76 percent of Americans support a binding code of Supreme Court ethics.
What kind of reforms would bring back trust to the court? And is change even possible?
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