Supreme Court Appointment Process: Roles of the President, Judiciary Committee, and Senate

Rutkus, Denis S.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Law;    Supreme Court nominations;    Congressional-Presidential relations;    Presidential appointments;    Selection of judges;   

RP-ID  :  RL31989
RP-ID  :  RL31989_2010Sep03

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

This report discusses the appointment of Supreme Court Justices, including the President's selection of a nominee and process to reach confirmation in the Senate. The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises as the highest appellate court in the federal judiciary. Appointments are usually infrequent, as a vacancy on the nine-member Court may occur only once or twice, or never at all, during a particular President's years in office. Under the Constitution, Justices on the Supreme Court receive lifetime appointments. Such job security in the government has been conferred solely on judges and, by constitutional design, helps insure the Court's independence from the President and Congress.