CONCLUSION| 383a judge. Political process is also important for selecting judges and determining
which cases the Supreme Court hears.
Politics is indeed everywhere, even in the courts, where you would least expect
to see it. Despite the idealized image of Justice as a blindfolded woman holding a
set of scales, politics aff ects everything from the selection of judges to the deci-
sions they make. Some characteristics of the federal courts (most important being
judges’ lifetime tenure) insulate the system from politics. However, courts are
subject to infl uence by judges’ ideologies, interest groups, and the president and
Senate, who try to shape their composition through the nomination process.
Returning to the example that opened this chapter demonstrates the important
role that the courts play in the political system. The Supreme Court endorsed the
national government’s dominant role in shaping immigration policy, but also rec-
ognized the states’ right to enforce the federal law. The federal courts may serve as
a referee between the other branches, and between the national and state govern-
ment, defi ning the boundaries of permissible conduct.
THE COURTS HAVE BEEN AN IMPORTANT
protector of minority rights,
including in the civil rights era.
But at other times the courts have
supported the will of the majority.