America’s decline into illiberalism: Aided and abetted by its Supreme Court

'If you have five votes, you can do anything' is the mantra for the Supreme Court of the United States of America. This has led to a gradual slide towards the right-wing agenda and a decline of liberal constitutional values. 

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IN October of 1953, Earl Warren was nominated as the Chief Justice of the United States (US) Supreme Court by President Dwight Eisenhower.

Justice Warren had a reputation. He was the Republican governor of California for a third term when the call came, a former Attorney General of the state and a running mate to Republican, Thomas Dewey who lost to Harry Truman in 1948. When appointed to the Supreme Court, Warren had all the credentials of a right-wing Republican.

Warren, however, was to disillusion Eisenhower and the Republicans. He was to become one of the most liberal chief justices that the US ever produced. After a spate of decisions against the government, especially ruling against the House Committee for Un-American Activities (famously known as McCarthyism) and against racial segregation (Brown versus Board of Education), Eisenhower fumed that he had "never been as mad".