Journalist Joan Biskupic reads from her latest book, "The Chief: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts."

 

The Supreme Court will take up contentious issues like gay rights, health care, abortion, and DACA this term, which kicked off Monday. The outcome of these cases may hinge on one vote — from Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts is at the center of the Court not just because he’s chief but because he’s a swing vote. Joan Biskupic, author of The Chief, says Roberts wrestles with two competing impulses: his strong commitment to certain conservative principles and his concern for the institutional legitimacy of the court. In the Aspen Ideas to Go podcast, Biskupic speaks with Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, about the dynamic of the Court. Listen to the show.

 

 

 

 

Our New Supreme Court

Before it wrapped up its term in June, the Supreme Court made decisions on two landmark cases: political gerrymandering and the census. How do these decisions and the makeup of the current court foretell what’s to come on issues like Roe v. Wade, voting rights, and free speech? A panel of leading legal experts, weighs in on how this term will impact the issues at the core of American life. Watch the conversation featuring Neal Katyal, Emily Bazelon, Annette Gordon-Reed, and others.

 

 

How the Highest Court's Decisions Impact You

 

The highest court often seems distanced from our day-to-day lives, but the rulings that come out of the Supreme Court are woven into the fabric of the nation. Though it aims to be apolitical, the court regularly hears cases that involve some of the most contentious questions dividing the nation, and its decisions can change the course of our social, political, and economic future. Find out how the Supreme Court's decisions shape our lives.

 

 

 

 

QUOTED AT ASPEN IDEAS: HEALTH

 

 

“There won’t be, in my opinion, the one case that does away with abortion. What there will be is the kind of chipping-away cases that are now making their way through the courts.” — Michele Bratcher Goodwin, From Roe v. Wade to Obamacare: What Will the Courts Decide?