More than Congress or the White House, the Supreme Court may arguably be the most important government institution in the country, its decisions touching on virtually every facet of day-to-day life, as well as broader questions of how we govern ourselves, regulate business and exercise our faith.
The Supreme Court is also inarguably the least democratic of the three, and not just because its members enjoy lifetime tenure and never have to face voters.
By the narrowest of margins, five justices appear ready to overlook nearly 50 years of precedent and reverse the court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide — a ruling, polls have consistently shown, favored by a majority of Americans.
