All presidents are concerned with the legacy they leave once out of office. A major influence on this legacy is the Supreme Court justices they appoint. What criteria do presidents take into account when choosing their Supreme Court nominees? How might the type of nominee change depending on the president?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: When deciding on who would make the best candidate for a Supreme Court nomination, the president generally takes judicial ideology and merit into consideration. When evaluating judicial ideology, a president looks at the policy positions of the appointee. Merit, however, is a measure of the actual qualifications of a candidate and is also taken into consideration. Although presidents are likely to choose candidates who are deemed as qualified by the American Bar Association based on merit, the real difference in who gets chosen as an appointee is based on the judge’s judicial ideology. A president who is more conservative may be more likely to choose a candidate who is opposed to abortion and believes in upholding the constitutional right to bear arms. A president who is more liberal, by contrast, might choose a candidate who is favorable to gay rights and supportive of reproductive rights.