Person

Rachel Shelden

Bylines

For Most of Its History, the Supreme Court Didn’t Pretend to Be Apolitical

Early Supreme Court justices were openly political, shaping laws and campaigns, with Dred Scott revealing the Court's limited authority.

by Rachel Shelden via Talking Points Memo on June 30, 2026
Historians and the Strange, Fluid World of 19th-Century Politics

Why our understanding of the era has been hindered by the party system model.

by Rachel Shelden, Erik B. Alexander via Process: A Blog for American History on May 7, 2024
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The Electoral Count Act Is Broken. Fixing It Requires Knowing How It Became Law.

Trump tried to exploit flaws that were embedded in the law from the start.

by Rachel Shelden, Erik B. Alexander via Made By History on October 8, 2021
Republicans Rediscover the Dangers of Selling Bunk to Their Constituents

Cynical public speech aimed at winning political power has consequences.

by Rachel Shelden via The Atlantic
This publication restricts nonsubscriber access to some or all of its articles.
on November 25, 2020
The Supreme Court Used To Be Openly Political. It Traded Partisanship For Power.

The idea that justices exist outside of politics is a relatively new concept.

by Rachel Shelden via Washington Post
This publication restricts nonsubscriber access to some or all of its articles.
on September 25, 2020

The Political Supreme Court: A Forgotten History

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The 9-member Chase Court in 1867, dominated by Northern Republicans.

Amid National Crises, Lincoln and His Republicans Remade the Supreme Court to Fit Their Agenda

Political contests over the ideological slant of the Court are nothing new.

by Calvin Schermerhorn via The Conversation on October 12, 2020

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