The partisan deadlock after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s untimely death, as well as liberal entreaties to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire so that President Obama can fill her seat, are illustrations of the wild card that the Supreme Court has become in American politics.

The impact of Supreme Court decisions has become greater as court and culture have become more polarized. Moreover, presidential opportunities to appoint have become fewer as justices serve longer, so today every court appointment is a major political event.