John Agresto talks about constitutional democracy and the United States Supreme Court. He juxtaposes the influence of the Court–an institution he views as the most powerful in the country–with its “disquieting” history of errors in judgment and policy. He also envisions a process whereby the qualifications, personal character, and legal opinions of potential Supreme Court justices may be carefully vetted by both the Congress and the Executive Branch so as to ensure that they are “fundamentally defensible.”
At the time of this interview, Agresto, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1978-79), was professor of political science at Kenyon College.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
