A rather thoughtful treatise by an enthusiastic SCOTUS fan-girl.
"The court is supposed to be unpopular!" The changing winds of political trends should not sway it. If mob rule were effective at administering justice, official judges would not be necessary. The Supreme Court grapples with whether to uphold or overturn precedent. It decides if its job is to interpret the law or to act in perceived goodwill. [Institutionalism v. Populism].
The current bench is Jackson, Kagan, Sotomayor, Gorsuch, Alito, Thomas, Barrett, Kavanaugh, and Roberts. Six were appointed by Republicans, and three were appointed by Democrats. You would expect most case outcomes to be decided by a 6-3 vote. However, only about 20% of split-vote decisions fall cleanly on this ideological split. Other considerations, such as the integrity of the institution, are to be considered.
With apt historical anecdotes, inside-baseball knowledge, and witty quips, Isgur does a great job of spicing up an otherwise bland topic.