What We've Learned from Judicial Confirmation Battles, Part II

Modern confirmations are different because the political culture is different; hearings have become kabuki theater; and every nomination can have a significant impact.

Last week, I posted the first in a three-part series on what we’ve learned from Supreme Court nominations and confirmations. This analysis is based on my last book, Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court. I discussed the debate over the Court’s “legitimacy” in a previous post—that’s what most concerns people a…