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Posted on Friday, July 01 @ 00:00:09 PDT |
- Blacks are be significantly overrepresented.
- Catholics and Jews are also significantly overrepresented.
- Protestants are vastly underrepresented. So are women and Asians.
- Counting illegal immigrants, Hispanics are underrepresented.
- Whites, men, and the elderly are overrepresented.
The following is a news analysis, first published on April 17.
If one expects the US Supreme Court to look like America: there are too many justices under age 65, too many college graduates, too few poor people, too many men, and too few foreign born, disabled, and Asian.
Typically, when advocates talk about making the Court look more like America, or be more diverse, they are referring to skin color and sex, with religion sometimes factored in.
Yet even with increased diversity on these fronts, it can be argued that the court remains fairly homogenous in terms of the justices education, station in life, income range and more.
There would have to be hundreds of positions on the court to begin to proportionately represent various facets of the US population.
Further, there is no indication as to what kind of diversity impacts, or whether it benefits, decision making on the high court.
Thus, it is left to advocates and, perhaps, those with the strongest representation or loudest voices to determine the supposed diversity that really matters, versus the diversity that takes a backseat.
When looking at typical demographic features of the US population, the Supreme Court will not look much like America in key areas when the newest justice, Ketanji Jackson, takes her place.
Blacks will be significantly overrepresented. Catholics and Jews are also significantly overrepresented; Protestants are vastly underrepresented on the Court.
Counting illegal immigrants, Hispanics are underrepresented.
Whites are overrepresented, but if just one seat changes, whites will be underrepresented when compared to the US population.
If one expects the court to look like America, there are too many justices under age 65, too many college graduates, too few poor people, too many men, and too few foreign born, disabled, and Asian.
White (non-Hispanic):
US Population: 60%
Supreme Court: 67% (55% if one white is replaced by non-white)
Catholic
US Adults: 22%
Supreme Court: 67%
Jewish
US Population: 2%
Supreme Court: 11%
Non-Catholic Christian
US Population: 45%
Supreme Court: 22%
Hispanic (including illegal immigrants)
US Population: 18.5%
Supreme Court: 11%
65 and over
US Population: 17%
Supreme Court: 44%
Black
US Population: 13%
Supreme Court: 22%
Female
US Population: 51%
Supreme Court: 44%
Foreign Born
US Population: 14%
Supreme Court: 0
With Disability Under Age 65
US Population: 9%
Supreme Court: Possibly 0%
Asian
US Population: 6%
Supreme Court: 0%
Bachelors Degree or Higher
US Population: 33%
Supreme Court: 100%
In Poverty
US Population: 11%
Supreme Court: 0%
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