How Americans developed an unhealthy relationship with the Supreme Court
From Reasonably Optimistic by The Washington Post
April 22, 2026 · 32 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the evolving and contentious role of the Supreme Court in American politics.
The Supreme Court is supposed to be above politics. But these days, it doesn’t feel that way. From high-stakes rulings to increasingly bitter confirmation hearings, the court has become one of the most divisive institutions in American government. So how did this happen? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Supreme Court analyst Sarah Isgur to break down what the justices actually do, why the court's breakdown isn’t as simple as a 6-3 conservative-liberal split, and how Americans' expectations — and Congress’s failures — have pushed the high court into a role it was never meant to play. Subscribe to The Washington Post here .
People in this episode
Host: Megan McArdle
Guest: Sarah Isgur
Topics covered
- Supreme Court
- politics
- divisive institutions
- confirmation hearings
- American government
Keywords
- Supreme Court
- politics
- confirmation hearings
- divisive
- American government
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Washington Post
Places: America
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