Obviously since health care reform is set to be argued before the Supreme Court tomorrow and the next two days, it's fitting that this week's written question focus on that fact. I want to frame this question in a way that focuses attention on the justices who will be hearing and deciding the case and gets you to think about how each of them approaches their job.
The question is: Based on what we know about the justices on the Supreme Court, how are they likely to rule on the major question the court will face, whether the individual mandate is constitutional?
The purpose of this question is to get you familiar with the different ways that members of the court (1)approach interpreting the Constitution and (2) view their responsibility to check the power of Congress. Very simply put - do they read the text narrowly or broadly, and do they see themselves as actively bound to apply that meaning or do they give Congress the general population leeway to make decisions without their mingling?
Instead of looking at each member - which would take some time - you may wish to focus on a couple. It would be wise to try to get a general feel for the nature of the opinions that exist on the current court. As we will see as we proceed in our coverage of the courts, who is on the courts matters greatly.
