The Supreme Court takes cases of national political import.

Evidence

First, the Court accepts cases that involve political disputes of national import. Thus, during the Korean War, it ruled on the constitutionality of President Harry Truman’s seizure and operation of the nation’s steel mills; and during the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s, it reviewed a challenge to President Richard Nixon’s claim that he could withhold incriminating tape recordings from a special prosecutor. More recently, the Court resolved a dispute over election returns in Florida that in effect determined the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, and it has heard several cases involving rights claims by suspected ter- rorists. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1513

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Bush v. Gore, Youngstown Sheet & Tube, and United States v. Nixon — landmark cases likely covered elsewhere in the course. — connects to: American courts have grown in their role governing the nation. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 90; The Court accepts nationally important political disputes but avoids unresolvable ones — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 913; Interested groups can shape national political agendas by bringing cases to the Supreme Court — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1476 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Interested groups can shape national political agendas by bringing cases to the Supreme Court #expands (0.95) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1476
• Court structure shapes which policy issues a supreme court can address. #qualifies (0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 441
• Major Supreme Court constitutional rulings culminate organized campaigns, not isolated litigation. #expands (0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 3079
• Judicial rulings can set binding national policy beyond the immediate parties #qualifies (0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 194
• American courts are enmeshed in policymaking through their duty to interpret law #expands (0.80) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 213