Saved on this device

Follow your curiosity

What discovery has been shared with you?

FACTREE gives you something interesting to discover every day — and something worth talking about together.

Start with one fact. Explore it, go deeper, then follow whichever branch catches your imagination.

Choose subjects for a surprise

Exploring any topic

Begin your discovery

Your next discovery is one click away.

Choose one or more subjects above, or leave Any Topic selected and let curiosity decide.

History

The Politics of Judicial Appointment and Court Packing

Quick fact

In 1937, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed adding up to six extra justices to the Supreme Court after it struck down his New Deal laws. The plan was widely condemned as 'court packing' and ultimately failed, but it remains the classic example of how changing the number of judges can be a political weapon.

Why this is interesting

You know that judges are supposed to be impartial, but did you know that who becomes a judge is one of the most political decisions a leader can make? Why would expanding the number of judges ever be seen as a threat to democracy?