What happens when the Supreme Court becomes just another political battleground for political power?

In this episode, I speak with with Dr. Hunter Baker, Senior Fellow for First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy, to talk about the growing debate over the Supreme Court, judicial independence and Americans’ troubling decline in civic knowledge.

Hunter explains why calls to expand—or “pack”—the Supreme Court have returned to the political conversation and why changing the size of the Court could fundamentally undermine its independence. We also explore the differences between originalism and the “living Constitution” approach, why the current Supreme Court is far less predictable than many political narratives suggest and what happens when Americans begin viewing judges as another group of elected politicians.

But the problem extends beyond the courts. Hunter and I discuss how Congress has shifted from deliberation toward performance, with lawmakers increasingly rewarded for viral clips, social media engagement, and partisan loyalty rather than thoughtful policymaking.

Ultimately, this conversation raises an even deeper question: Can a constitutional republic survive if its citizens no longer understand how—and why—their government was designed to work?

📘 Get my latest book Bold Not Belligerent on Amazon:

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💭 A different way to reflect this week:

• Do I understand the Constitution and our system of government well enough to recognize when political power is being abused?

• Am I evaluating political institutions according to principle—or simply according to whether my side is winning?

📌 In this episode, we discuss:

✅ Why court packing has returned to the national political conversation

✅ The history of FDR’s attempt to expand the Supreme Court

✅ Why nine Supreme Court justices has remained such a durable model

✅ The danger of turning the judiciary into a “second legislature”

✅ Originalism versus the living Constitution approach

✅ Why the current Supreme Court is not a predictable political voting bloc

✅ How the Dobbs decision intensified the battle over the Court

✅ Why Congress has shifted from policymaking toward political performance

✅ How social media rewards outrage and viral moments

✅ The decline of bipartisanship in Washington

✅ America’s growing civic knowledge crisis

✅ Why rebuilding civic education matters for the future of self-government

📢 TAKE ACTION:

📖 Read the Constitution and become more familiar with how our three branches of government were designed to function.

🏛️ Learn who represents you at the local, state, and federal levels.

🗳️ Evaluate candidates based on character, principles, and governing ability—not simply social media performance.

🤝 Engage people with different political perspectives without treating disagreement as hostility.

🙏 Pray for wisdom, courage, integrity, and humility among those entrusted with public authority.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Hunter Baker:

🌐 First Liberty Institute: https://firstliberty.org/

🌐 WORLD Magazine articles – https://wng.org/authors/hunter-baker

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hunterbaker

🌐 Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy: https://crcd.net

📘 Books by Dr. Hunter Baker: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001TNLIRQ?ingress=0&visitId=52e15f8a-ed15-4b88-b368-9d9edc042384&ref_=aufs_ap_ahdr_dsk_ab&ccs_id=379dada1-95ac-4ac5-804d-62bd8eebd723

𝕏 Twitter/X: https://x.com/hunterbaker LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterbaker/

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