, Columnist
Kavanaugh Confirmation Won’t Affect Supreme Court’s Legitimacy
After all, conservative and liberal justices agree on most cases. That’s one key to the institution’s reputation.
Over decades and across ideological divides, justices tend to agree on the legal matters that are the heart of their job.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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These are not the best of times for the U.S. Supreme Court. But whether or not Judge Brett Kavanaugh is ultimately confirmed, and despite the intense heat of the moment, the court’s fundamental legitimacy need not be, and should not be, put in question.
For well over two hundred years, the Supreme Court has helped commit the nation to the supremacy of law. That commitment is a precious achievement. It safeguards liberty, and it holds off authoritarianism.