http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/ask-the-author-with-david-stras-part-2/ The Supreme Court of the United States blog Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:56:34 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/ask-the-author-with-david-stras-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-10822 Dennis Bedard Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:18:29 +0000 http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/uncategorized/ask-the-author-with-david-stras-part-2/#comment-10822 Length of tenure is directly related to a justice's age when he assumes office. That being said, over the past 100 years, has there been a noticeable decline in the average age of a new justice? Thomas, Rehnquist, and Douglas were young men when they donned the robes. Roberts is probably one of the youngest chief justices that I can remember. With the increasing ideological polarization of the court, I think presidents are under some pressure from their more fervent supporters to appoint younger people to the court, the argument being that, all other things being equal, it is better to have a car with 10,000 miles than one with 100,000. Length of tenure is directly related to a justice’s age when he assumes office. That being said, over the past 100 years, has there been a noticeable decline in the average age of a new justice? Thomas, Rehnquist, and Douglas were young men when they donned the robes. Roberts is probably one of the youngest chief justices that I can remember. With the increasing ideological polarization of the court, I think presidents are under some pressure from their more fervent supporters to appoint younger people to the court, the argument being that, all other things being equal, it is better to have a car with 10,000 miles than one with 100,000.

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