What next for the U.S. Supreme Court?
James Sieja
Constitutional politics in the current election season will be the focus of a Feb. 18 presentation by Professor James Sieja of the Government Department.
His talk, titled “Justice Passes: Confirmation and Constitutional Politics in the
2016 Election Season,” will begin at 5:30 pm in the Intercultural Center. Admission
is open to all.
The death on Saturday of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia raises a number of
questions that Sieja will address, including the following:
-What are the implications of the court vacancy for the 2016 presidential election?
-How do political scientists think about confirmation politics in “normal” times
and how is this vacancy different?
-How does Justice Scalia’s death fit with historical departures from the court?
Sieja also hopes to cover topics raised Monday by his students, including the options available to President Obama, how the Supreme Court operates with eight justices, who are some possible nominees to replace Justice Scalia, and what is (and isn't) the “Thurmond Rule” regarding judicial vacancies.
Sieja's talk was originally to have focused on the Electoral College, but he changed it to meet the heightened interest in the Supreme Court following the weekend’s news. A visiting assistant professor in the Government Department, Sieja’s research specialties include American presidential and judicial politics.
