Regional balance on the Supreme Court vanished by the late twentieth century

Evidence

Well into the twentieth century, region played an important part in appointments to the Supreme Court. Initially, having representation from the various sections of the country bolstered the legitimacy of the Court and the national government. From the founding through 1971, except during Reconstruction, there was a Southern seat on the Court and, until the 1930s, a New England seat as well. Today the concern for regional balance has largely disappeared. For example, President Reagan appointed Arizona Judge Sandra Day O’Connor to the Court, even though Justice William Rehnquist was also an Arizonan. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 531

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Race and gender replaced region as top demographic factors in Supreme Court appointments — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 532

Broader Connections

• Race and gender replaced region as top demographic factors in Supreme Court appointments #expands (0.92) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 532