Nicholas Johnson

Research Proposal Paper

January 18, 2022

Reform of The Supreme Court will Lead to the Compromise of Judicial Integrity.

Introduction

The integrity of the supreme court has been ensured by the United States Constitution and

has functioned apolitically since the founding of the nation. The decisions of the court create a

standard for policies as it is seen as the interpretation of the constitution without the will for

political gain as set standard by the life tenure of justices.

The nomination and election process of a supreme court justice already ensure bipartisan action.

If legislation is concerned with a partisan outcome of a nominee of the supreme court, they need

to reform the process of election within the senate rather than a process that would cause

questionability in the integrity of the court. Reform of the court would lead to a political shift

that the federal government cannot handle; rather a reform of the nomination and confirmation

process is suggested to ensure bipartisanship and restore integrity.

Literature Review

Article 3 sets up the judicial entity as such that “The judicial Power of the United States,

shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time

to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their

Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a

Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office” (US Const.

1787).
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Through government-produced documentation and analysis, historical judicial processes

are seen. These literary elements are diverse as the time spans differ from the foundation of the

nation to the most recent confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. The significance of reviewing

literature from the government is that it truly shows the trends of senatorial votes. These votes

and analyses will be essential in supporting nomination reform rather than court reform.

Research Questions

This research will serve to answer (insert 2 -3) questions:

● Should term limits on Supreme Court Justices be implicated as a reform method?

● Should Congress allow for court-packing as a reform method?

● What is the integrity of the court dependent on?

Method

The research will be conducted in a manner of efficiency through professionally written

and published works. The writing is to be from government databases and analysts to ensure the

accuracy and intellectual integrity of the information. Both historical and current resources will

be used to evaluate trends to be summarized in three sections:

● Historical impact on judicial functionality

● Congressional and political impact on the supreme court

● Reform opinions within the current supreme court

Discussion

The federal government is the overarching authority of the United States of America.

With three branches of government, the judicial branch is being pushed to reform. The

constitution leaves the outline for the branch vague except for stating that justices will have life
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tenure which is seen to eliminate political intervention from the eyes of those who interpret the

constitution (Wilkinson, 2021).

The importance of this to all Americans is in maintaining apolitical decisions adjudicated

by the supreme court justices. As the court currently stands, decisions are made in the best

interest of following the supreme law of the land. Through reform, the toxins of human motive

will be exhibited by justices to remain in political power within the court which has never seen

political motive in the past as formed by the founding fathers of the nation.
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References

Bipartisan judicial selection task force releases report on supreme... (2021, July 9). Targeted

News Service.

Congressional Research Service, Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee

and Floor Procedure, A. (D.C. Apr. 4, 2019).

Supreme Court Nominations (1789-Present). (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2022, from

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/nominations/SupremeCourtNominations1789present.h

tm

U.S. Const. art. III, § 1.

Wilkinson, I., & Harvie, J. (2021, October 18). Supreme court term limits wouldn't solve

anything. Washington Post.

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Research Proposal Rubric
Name:
Topic:

Grade Exceeds Meets Approaching Lacking

Components Expectations Expectations Expectations

Overview/ Paper has a The opening The intro vaguely The introduction
Introduction (10) descriptive title. introduces introduces the doesn’t really
The overview everything but topic. A title is match the topic
captures the lacks an missing or and focus of the
reader’s attention, attention-grabbing generic. rest of the paper.
indicates the opening. The title
intended is a little vague.
audience, and
provides a brief
overview of the
proposal.

Literature The literature The literature The literature The literature

Review (20) review is very review is relatively review is simplistic review covers
(Information on the comprehensive comprehensive and describes irrelevant material
topic) and describes and describes some relevant or is missing.
relevant material. most relevant material
material.

Research Specific research Research Some research No research

Questions (10) questions are questions are questions are questions are
included in the included in the included in the included in the
proposal and they proposal, and proposal, but they proposal.
are directly their connection to are unconnected
connected to the the material to the material
material reviewed reviewed in the reviewed in the
in the introduction. introduction is introduction.
good.

Methodology A methods section A methods section A methods section No methods

(10) clearly presents is present, and is present, but section is included
(procedure clearly the researcher’s only a few numerous in the proposal or
described, a plan, and the elements of the elements of the many key
comprehensive list of section is missing methods are methods are elements of the
source material none of the key absent or absent or methods are
provided, method(s) elements of the described described absent.
of analysis discussed, methods. insufficiently. insufficiently.
ethical issues
considered)

Discussion (10) A broad range of Some important Some implications No potential

implications are implications are are discussed, but implications of the
discussed that discussed, which they are not proposed study
connect directly to are connected to strongly are discussed.
the proposed the proposed connected to the
study and why it is study. proposed study.
necessary.

Works Cited: A properly An MLA Works An MLA Works No MLA Works

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(10) formatted MLA Cited is attached Cited is attached Cited is attached
(2 database Works Cited which meets all but it does not or only URL’s are
sources + 1 other which meets all requirements, but meet all source listed.
credible source) requirements is it contains 1 or 2 requirements and
attached. formatting issues. contains
formatting issues.

Quality of Proposal exhibits Proposal exhibits Proposal exhibits Proposal exhibits

Diction/Writing sophisticated adequate diction, simplistic diction inappropriate
diction, clear and is easy to with little sentence diction, sloppy
(20) concise writing understand, and variety. writing and
with effective includes some sentence structure
sentence variety. sentence variety. issues..

Grammar, Writing observes Writing generally Writing has Writing poorly

Usage, & the grammatical observes the several observes the
conventions of grammatical mechanical errors grammatical
Mechanics (10) standard written conventions of and readability conventions of
English. Paper is standard written problems. standard written
free from English. Paper English.
distracting has a few
mechanical errors distracting
(grammar, mechanical errors.
spelling, and
punct). One or two
minor typos exist
but are not overly
distracting.

Total: