Who nominates judges for the Supreme Court?
Answer 48: The President nominates judges for the Supreme Court. The process of nominating a Supreme Court Justice is an example of checks and balances. The executive branch has the power to choose the members of the judicial branch of the federal government. The legislative branch can check this power, since the Senate must confirm the President’s nominee. However, once on the Court, the Justices have lifelong terms. Therefore, the judicial branch’s power and independence is protected. Question 49: How many Supreme Court justices are there? Answer 49: There are 9 Supreme Court justices. The number of Justices is not established in the Constitution. In the past, it has been as high as ten and as low as six. Now, there are eight Associate Justices and one Chief Justice. The current Associate Justices are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Antonin Scalia, John Paul Stevens, Anthony Kennedy, and Sandra Day O’Connor. The Chief Justice, William Rehnquist, pa
