How many of the Supreme Court Justices are millionaires and does it matter?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
The nine Supreme Court justices in total are worth at least $24 million. Based on the data from the chart above, identify the wealthiest Supreme Court justice.
Based on the data from the chart above, describe the level of wealth of the average Supreme Court justice.
It’s impossible to get more specific about the wealth of the justices because federal ethics laws require justices to disclose only those assets that might pose a conflict of interest. None of the justices are required to list the value of their personal residences or the contents of their government retirement accounts. These are often the biggest assets people own, said Gabe Roth, executive director of advocacy group Fix the Court. As a result, the public can only assess part of each justice’s holdings, valued in a broad range. Make a claim about whether Supreme Court justices should be required to reveal their level of wealth.
As of June 2022, the median net worth of American households was $121,700, according to the same Federal Reserve Survey. About 8.8 % of U.S. adults are millionaires. How does this wealth compare to that of the Supreme Court?
Explain how he wealth of justices as shown in the visual above impacts the level of public approval as shown in the visual below.*
Explain whether the your level of confidence in the Supreme Court is diminished by their level of wealth?
On May 28, 1788, Alexander Hamilton published Federalist 78—titled “The Judicial Department.” In this famous Federalist Paper essay, Hamilton emphasized the importance of an independent judiciary and the power of judicial review. With judicial independence, the Constitution put barriers in place—like life tenure and salary protections—to ensure that the federal courts were independent from the control of the elected branches. Make a claim about whether Congressional oversight over SCOTUS wealth would decrease judicial independence.
Does the data in the chart make you think the U.S. is more of a participatory democracy or an elite democracy?
As a co-equal branch of government, the court has argued it has discretion to set its own ethical rules. But Democratic lawmakers for over a decade have introduced legislation that would impose oversight of the Supreme Court, including establishing a code of ethics to ensure the justices are not improperly influenced and an independent group to review the high court’s conduct. Do you agree with the court that it should set its own ethical rules?
Explain whether the level of wealth of the Supreme Court makes any difference in how they rule.
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Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Learn More
Read this Bloomberg story on our wealthy SCOTUS and dive deep into the assets of each of the nine justices. For example, Chief Justice John Roberts (you can contact him here) is the richest of the Supreme Court justices, reporting between $9 million to $27 million in assets. That includes a waterfront cottage in Maine, located on an island accessible only by boat, which is valued at an estimated $250,000-$500,000 per year, and part of a cottage in Ireland, valued at less than $15,000.
Act on your Learning
Article III of the United States Constitution outlines Congress's power to oversee the judiciary. Contact Senator Dick Durbin chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and share your thoughts on whether Supreme Court Justices should have a code of ethics and an independent group to review their wealth and conduct.
Get Creative
SCOTUS is an acronym for Supreme Court of the United States. Does the word SCOTUS sound more like a candy bar; the new single by Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, known professionally as Chance the Rapper; an energy drink; a rare tropical disease (I've got SCOTUS so bad!); or a South Korean boy band?
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