Yes, concerns over Supreme Court ethics are rising

+ could fake elector schemes work again in 2024? US Edition - Today's top story: 5 reasons Supreme Court ethics questions are more common now than in the past [View in browser]( US Edition | 13 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( The U.S. Supreme Court has held off on issuing rulings on many consequential cases until very late in its term. As of this week, that left “nearly half of the cases heard this year undecided,” as The Associated Press reported. So here at The Conversation, editors are on alert, awaiting the 10 a.m. issuance of decisions on days the court designates for releasing rulings. We’ve been following cases ranging from the availability of the abortion pill to whether a president has immunity from prosecution. Like I said: consequential cases. But there’s more to our Supreme Court coverage than the cases themselves. We’re also covering the court, which has become embroiled in a series of ethics conflicts that appear unlike anything in the court’s history. Here’s politics editor Jeff Inglis on how he approached a story about those conflicts. It’s a classic description of how a journalist works. Observe something, ask questions about it, find the answers: “In recent weeks − and years − it has struck me that people are much more concerned about Supreme Court justices’ ethics and conflicts of interest than I remember from past decades. But I wasn’t sure that was actually true, and I wasn’t sure why I might think that − nor, if it was true, why those concerns might be higher now than in the past. I asked Charles Gardner Geyh, a law professor and legal historian from Indiana University, to help me − and you, our readers − make sense of what had happened over the course of the nation’s history that has resulted in a court filled with justices with their own political agendas and who seek their own fame.” That’s what led Jeff to commission Geyh to answer those questions. In a nutshell – and a very clever lead crafted by a terrific writer − here’s Geyh’s answer: “In recent years, all nine sitting justices on the U.S. Supreme Court have been the subject of reports calling their ethics into question. Is this an old problem? Something new? Political gamesmanship? Something more serious? As a legal scholar who has studied judicial history, politics and ethics, [my answer to each of these questions is ‘yes.’](” You can read Geyh’s story for the history behind that answer, starting in the 18th century. Also in this week’s politics news: - [AI was actually used constructively in Indian election]( - [Law article critical of Israel raises academic freedom questions]( - [Independent voters remain important and hard to reach]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy How blind can the justices be? SimpleImages/Moment via Getty Images [5 reasons Supreme Court ethics questions are more common now than in the past]( Charles Gardner Geyh, Indiana University Are concerns about Supreme Court justices’ ethics an old problem, a new one, political gamesmanship, or something more serious? Yes to all of it. Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, center, of the North Carolina Supreme Court swears in state presidential electors to cast their votes on Dec. 14, 2020. AP Photo/Gerry Broome [2020’s ‘fake elector’ schemes will be harder to try in 2024 – but not impossible]( Derek T. Muller, University of Notre Dame In the 2020 presidential election, groups of self-appointed electors in seven states met to cast votes for Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden had carried their states. Could that happen again? Abortion rights activists rally outside the Supreme Court in April 2024. Associated Press [American womanhood is not what it used to be − understanding the backlash to Dobbs v. Jackson]( Linda J. Nicholson, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis A historian of gender and women’s rights explains how women’s protests focused on their rights evolved from the 1960s through the present. [Politics is still both local and personal – but only for independents, not for Democrats or Republicans]( Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, University of Maryland; Joshua J. Dyck, UMass Lowell Independents’ political views and policy preferences reflect the economic and social conditions they see and experience every day. Democrats and Republicans have different sources for their views. [Biden and Trump may forget names or personal details, but here is what really matters in assessing whether they’re cognitively up for the job]( Leo Gugerty, Clemson University Decision-making abilities are critical to a president’s performance. [People ambivalent about political issues support violence more than those with clear opinions]( Joseph Siev, University of Virginia; Richard Petty, The Ohio State University The more ambivalent a person is about a political issue, the more likely they are to support violence and other extreme actions relating to that issue. [Laws meant to keep different races apart still influence dating patterns, decades after being invalidated]( Solangel Maldonado, Seton Hall University Romantic attraction is driven by a complex set of factors, including who people grow up around and what is familiar and comfortable to them. But discriminatory laws also play a role. - [Independent voters are few in number, influential in close elections – and hard for campaigns to reach]( Julio Borquez, University of Michigan-Dearborn Both the Biden and Trump campaigns will work to mobilize their bases and maximize turnout among their supporters. But those votes alone will probably not be enough to ensure victory. - [Getting services to people in need often relies on partnerships between government and nonprofits, but reporting requirements can be too onerous]( David C. Campbell, University of California, Davis By relying heavily on privately run organizations to deliver social services, the government employs fewer people, reducing the size of its bureaucracy. But these partnerships can flounder. - [Columbia Law Review article critical of Israel sparks battle between student editors and their board − highlighting fragility of academic freedom]( Neal H. Hutchens, University of Kentucky It’s now clear that tensions in academia regarding concerns about Israel’s relationship with the Palestinian people aren’t limited to campus protests. - [Ukraine’s draft woes leave the West facing pressure to make up for the troop shortfall]( - [Indian election was awash in deepfakes – but AI was a net positive for democracy]( - [Why is it so hard to know how many independent voters there are?]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. 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