About Supreme 13

Supreme 13 Logo

About Supreme 13

Supreme 13 is an independent advocacy and information project intended to serve as a serious, evidence-based resource for organizations, community advocates, policymakers, researchers, journalists, and members of the public interested in Supreme Court expansion.

The site brings together research, news, commentary, legislation, documented endorsements, and original analysis. Supreme 13 supports Democrats expanding the Supreme Court while aiming to make the underlying evidence, competing arguments, and source material easy to find and evaluate.

The Proposal

Supreme 13 advocates Supreme Court expansion by Democrats from nine justices to 13 through federal legislation at the next realistic opportunity to do so, as discussed in What It Will Take to Expand the Supreme Court in 2029.

As discussed in Choice, Circumstance, and the Case for Supreme Court Expansion, since 1970, no fully staffed Court has had a majority of justices appointed by Democratic presidents. If the 2028 elections give Democrats the presidency and control of both chambers of Congress, Supreme 13 argues that Court expansion should be treated as an essential part of the governing agenda in 2029 rather than as an afterthought.

The number 13 is tied to a clear institutional benchmark. The federal judiciary has 13 courts of appeals, and during much of the nineteenth century the size of the Supreme Court generally tracked the number of federal judicial circuits, as discussed in The Constitutionality of Expanding the Supreme Court.

For a detailed discussion of the proposal and the questions it raises, see the Frequently Asked Questions About Supreme Court Expansion.

What You Will Find on Supreme 13

Editorial Standards

Supreme 13 seeks to distinguish established facts and source material from its own analysis and advocacy positions. The site links to primary or original sources whenever practical and uses secondary sources when they provide useful context, analysis, or reporting.

Endorsement directories require public evidence of support for expanding the Supreme Court. For members of Congress, sponsorship or cosponsorship of Court-expansion legislation is sufficient evidence for inclusion; official statements, interviews, op-eds, campaign materials, and public social media statements may provide additional support. Organizations are included based on documented public support for Supreme Court expansion.

Supreme 13 welcomes corrections and suggested additions through the Contact page.