Courting Politics

All three branches of the U.S. government are embroiled in a debate over the role of ideology in judicial appointments.

Politics play a leading role in the way judges vote, according to a study done by Professor Cass Sunstein, but does that mean that nominees should be screened through the filter of ideology?

Choosing judges based on ideology could exclude some of the most qualified candidates, but ignoring politics could be dangerous too.

Click the "Listen" link above to hear more about the criteria that should be used when making judicial appointments.

Guests:

Jeffrey Toobin, staff writer for The New Yorker magazine

Cass Sunstein, Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Chicago Law School and author of "Why Societies Need Dissent"

John Mcginnis, Professor of Law, Northwestern University Law School and author of "Presidential Review as Constitutional Restoration"