Supremely Old Court
AP US Government and Politics
In 2016, what was the average age of the US Supreme Court?
How accurate was your prediction?
What most surprised you about this data?
What trend do you see in SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) average age?
Why do you think that is?
What is one consequence of such an old court?
Is this information good news?
In 2015, the national median age was 37.8 years, what is a consequence of such a division between the age of the Court and of America?
What would be a major consequence if the average age of the Supreme Court became 37.8 years?
Does SCOTUS sound more like a candy bar, the new album by Florida Georgia Line, an energy drink, a rare tropical disease (I've got SCOTUS so bad!), or a boy band?
Or maybe you think SCOTUS sounds like something else. In which case, what do you think SCOTUS really means?
What has happened to overall American life expectancy since 1925?
Why do you think that is?
What is one political consequence of the aging (political scientists often use the term, graying) of America?
The average age of the first Supreme Court was about 50. Why do you think that Court was so young?
Who has the power to decide the number of justices on the Supreme Court?
What do you think is the ideal size of the Supreme Court?
The average age of the current Supreme Court is over 70. Do you think that it's a good thing that people the age of your grandparents are making decisions about things like digital privacy rights, same-sex-marriage, and affirmative action?
Currently, Justices serve for life. In the comments section, explain whether you think there should be a Constitutional Amendment limiting Justices' terms
Learning Extension
Check out this very cool very interactive SCOTUS chart!*
