Search forums In the News: Politics and the U.S. Supreme Court (Extra credit forum) Post a comment, share your thoughts or respond to another student's post for up to 10 points extra credit. Please be courteous and respectful in your posts; no offensive language please! If responding to another student's post, your response should be more than just "I agree, or disagree." Extra credit points for participating in the forums will be factored into your grade and the end of the term. Here's the first topic: Three new Justices were appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court during the Trump presidency. There is a lot of concern that the new Justices change the political make-up of the Court and will tend to rule in favor of a particular political parties' agenda. Chief Justice Roberts was quick to defend the Court indicating that the Court does consider politics in their rulings. Newly appointed Justice Barrett expressed concern recently that the public perception of the court will be that its rulings are biased. The recent ruling upholding Anti-Abortion laws in several states does show a divide in the court that appears to support a conservative agenda. The Court will be deciding several major issues this term involving abortion laws and laws that involve voters' rights enacted in several states. Why is it important that the courts, particularly the U.S. Supreme Court, not align themselves with one political party or another? Do special interest groups such as the NRA (National Rifle Association), religious groups, and industry lobbyists have any influence in the courts' decisions? Is a strong and independent court system important to the rule of law? Add a new discussion topic (There are no discussion topics yet in this forum) Cengage MindTap Course Resource Jump to.. Case Instructions (Due weeks 2,4,6,8 and 10)