Religious demographics historically shaped Supreme Court seat allocation

Evidence

Demographic considerations have influenced the selection of judges throughout American history. Political parties have sought to “balance the ticket” in judicial elections, and presidents and governors have considered religion and ethnicity in appointing judges. Indeed, during the early twentieth century, there were identifiable Catholic and Jewish seats on the Supreme Court. But religious balance on the Court is no longer an issue: in 2018 there were five Catholics, three Jews, and one Protestant on the Court. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 523

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; Demographic representation is a third competing value in judicial selection — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 591; Racial divisions historically eclipsed interdenominational religious divisions in American life — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 464 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Racial divisions historically eclipsed interdenominational religious divisions in American life #complicates (0.75) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 464
• Local demographics shaped whether nationalism took religious or secular form #exemplifies (0.72) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 3473