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We’re in the middle of a frantic final week of the 2025-2026 term at the Supreme Court, with several consequential opinions yet to be released that could redefine how Americans vote, who can participate in sports and who can even be an American – and much else.
But how does the country’s highest court actually shape policy – and how does it arrive at its rulings in increasingly pivotal cultural and political battles? Those are the questions Supreme Court scholar Paul Collins at UMass Amherst answers in his incisive analysis and today’s top story.
Even if much of the action takes place outside the public view, Collins writes, Supreme Court rulings are shaped by a deeply structured process that involves rigorous gatekeeping rules, private conferences and written briefs.
As Collins notes, understanding these procedures – in which thousands of petitions are screened and opinions are negotiated behind closed doors – helps reveal how nine unelected justices shape the meaning of the Constitution and influence the lives of millions of Americans.
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