#1812 Democracy or This Supreme Court, But Not Both

#1812 Democracy or This Supreme Court, But Not Both

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics August 2, 2026 Duration: 2:58:22

Air Date: 8/1/2026

Today we investigate how the argument moved from what the Supreme Court decides to whether the Court should be rebuilt. Only about one in five Americans has strong confidence in the Court, and the proposals on the table would end lifetime seats, set fixed terms, and add judges across the federal bench. We're arguing that these reforms are necessary for a functioning democracy.

Full Show Notes

Transcript

Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

Join our Discord community!


TOP TAKES

KP 1: 'Unhinged and Racist': Hayes EVISCERATES Trump's Birthright Argument - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 6-30-26

KP 2: "We Continue to Fight": Chase Strangio on the Supreme Court's Ban on Trans Girls & Women in Sports - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-1-26

KP 3: Supreme Court Guts Voting Rights Act in "Devastating Blow" to Democracy & Civil Rights: Maya Wiley - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-30-26

KP 4: The Term the Court Stopped Pretending Part 1 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts - Air Date 7-7-26

KP 5: "The Most Destructive Chief Justice in My Lifetime": Dissecting John Roberts with Lisa Graves Part 1 - 5-4 - Air Date 6-23-26

KP 6: Did the Birthright Citizenship Ruling Prove It's Time for SCOTUS Reform? Part 1 - Stateside with Kai and Carter - Air Date 7-1-26


(00:48:11) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Court Reform Has to Start With Filibuster Reform

My commentaries on YouTube - Share them!


DEEPER DIVES

(01:02:17) SECTION A: THE RULINGS

A1: Supreme Court RUSHES Through SHOCK RULINGS - Legal AF and Lawyers for Good Government - Air Date 7-24-26

A2: In "Devastating" Immigration Ruling, Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin to "Turn Back" Asylum Seekers - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-26-26

A3: What Haitians and Syrians With TPS Need to Know Now - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-30-26


(01:26:07) SECTION B: THE CHARACTER OF THE COURT

B1: The Term the Court Stopped Pretending Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts - Air Date 7-7-26

B2: SCOTUS Doubles Down on Bigotry in Final Decisions of the Term - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 6-30-26

B3: The Supreme Court Is Corrupt. This Is What We Can Do About It. - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 5-1-26

B4: BREAKING: SCOTUS Just Snuck Radical Law Past the Headlines - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 6-23-26

B5: Strict Scrutiny X WITHpod SCOTUS Review Crossover - Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast - Air Date 7-7-26


(02:13:52) SECTION C: ORIGINS, HOW WE GOT THIS COURT

C1: 250 Years of Bad Decisions: SCOTUS, the Civil War, and the End of Reconstruction - 5-4 - Air Date 6-30-26

C2: "The Most Destructive Chief Justice in My Lifetime": Dissecting John Roberts with Lisa Graves Part 2 - 5-4 - Air Date 6-23-26


(02:33:08) SECTION D: REFORM, WHAT DO WE DO?

D1: How to Fix the Supreme Court (with Miriam Rosenbaum and Olatunde Johnson) - Brennan Center for Justice - Air Date 5-6-26

D2: Did the Birthright Citizenship Ruling Prove It's Time for SCOTUS Reform? Part 2 - Stateside with Kai and Carter - Air Date 7-1-26

D3: Broke: Pack the Supreme Court. Woke: Pack ALL of the Courts - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 7-23-26


 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen

Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com


For over fifteen years, Best of the Left-Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy has served as a vital, human-curated digest of voices from across the progressive spectrum. Instead of presenting a single opinion, each episode is built around a specific theme-from economic inequality to climate policy to cultural shifts-and weaves together insightful commentary from a diverse array of journalists, activists, and thinkers. This approach allows you to efficiently grasp the nuances of complex issues by hearing multiple expert angles in one sitting, all while discovering new commentators and sources you might not have encountered otherwise. The result is a richly layered analysis that algorithms simply cannot replicate, offering depth and context often missing from the daily news cycle. Since 2006, this award-winning podcast has cut through the noise, drawing from hundreds of independent and established sources to provide a coherent, thoughtful examination of the forces shaping our society and governments. Tuning in means joining a long-running conversation dedicated to understanding and advancing democratic principles, social justice, and a more equitable economy, all through the focused lens of leftist thought.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Podcast Episodes
#1820 Science and Public Health Under Attack by Our Own Government [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:01:51
Air Date: 9/2/2026 Today we look at how public health is being gutted by a system that took ordinary parental worry and organized, radicalized and monetized it into an anti-science "wellness" movement large enough to sei…