assignment

4) Supreme Court Justices and Tenure:

The framers gave Justices lifetime tenure. From 1789 to 1970, the average length

of service for a Supreme Court justice was 15 years and the average age at

retirement was 68.5. Since 1970, the average tenure is 25.5 years, and the average

retirement age is nearly 79.

Some legal scholars have proposed changes that would result in staggered 18-year

terms for Supreme Court justices; other have suggested a rotation of federal

judges through the Supreme Court for terms of six months to a year.

a. Would you welcome such changes? Were the framers right to give the justices

lifetime tenure? Would changing the tenure of Supreme Court justices have negative

consequences?