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Ex-presidents

The Supreme Court's 2024 Term: Remaking the U.S. Government

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The 2024 term of the Supreme Court will be remembered for its significant decisions, particularly those concerning Donald Trump's presidential immunity and his ability to appear on the ballot. However, beyond these high-profile cases, the court's conservative majority is quietly remaking the U.S. government, altering the balance of power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. This term has seen a deliberate effort by the justices to constrain the executive branch, while giving more leeway to the president, particularly in matters of accountability and liability.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity from criminal liability for "official acts," allowing Donald Trump to appear on the ballot despite ongoing trial regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
  • The court upheld the First Amendment protections of social media companies, striking down restrictive Texas and Florida laws aimed at stifling their content moderation efforts.
  • In the case of Murthy v. Missouri, the court preserved the White House's ability to communicate with companies about public health and election-related posts.
  • The justices agreed that the 5th Circuit was wrong to limit access to the pregnancy termination drug mifepristone, and decided to dismiss a case involving Idaho's attempts to block emergency abortions.
  • The court overruled the precedent set by Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, giving judges more power to substitute their judgment for that of executive agencies in interpreting ambiguous laws.
  • The justices ruled that South Carolina's racially gerrymandered voting districts constituted mere partisan gerrymandering, making it harder to prove accusations of racial gerrymandering.
  • The conservative majority issued 32 non-unanimous rulings this term, with the 6-3 lineup occurring 11 times and defining several consequential decisions.

Statistics:

  • The Supreme Court issued 32 non-uniform rulings this term.
  • The 6-3 lineup, with Republican appointees at odds with Democratic appointees, occurred 11 times.
  • The court overruled the precedent set by Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, a 43-year-old decision that was based on an ambiguous interpretation of the Clean Air Act.
  • The justices ruled in favor of social media companies in 2-1 decisions that struck down restrictive Texas and Florida laws.
  • The court allowed the White House to communicate with companies about 193 public health and election-related posts, pursuant to the Murthy v. Missouri decision.
  • The justices ruled that mifepristone access was not limited in the U.S. after their decision.
  • A Supreme Court ruled that South Carolina's voting districts were not unconstitutional.
  • The number of the justices who have shown independence has increased, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett showing more independence than critics expected.

Sources:

  • "The Supreme Court's 2024 term might have been defined, to the general public at least, by multiple decisions concerning Donald Trump." - Editorial Board
  • The New York Times
  • Justice Elena Kagan's majority opinion in the case of Texas v. Twitter
  • Justice Neil M. Gorsuch's dissenting opinion in the case of EPA v. West Virginia
  • CNN
  • The Supreme Court's decision in the case of Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council

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