The new Supreme Court term takes aim at the administrative state

Conflicts over guns, gender bias and abortion are coming up, too

The US Supreme Court building in Washington, DC — Image: Damon Winter/The New York Times/Redux/Eyevine

Sep 28th 2023|NEW YORK

AMID A STORM of ethics concerns and an approval rating stuck at historic lows for a second consecutive year, the Supreme Court returns to action on October 2nd. Battles over gun rights, gender-based employment discrimination and social-media use by public officials loom, as do lingering questions about voting rights, abortion pills and affirmative action. A constitutional challenge to Donald Trump’s candidacy based on his role in the riot at the Capitol on January 6th 2021 could reach the high court as the presidential campaign heats up. But the stars of the term may be a deceptively bland trio of cases that could transform the way the federal government does its work.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Who has agency?”