Federal, state, and local officials must work together to safeguard the democratic process.

Staggered 18-year terms would bring regular turnover to the bench. The result would be a Court that better reflects prevailing public values.

Many major cities no longer rely solely on police to address social issues and traffic violations.

For decades, the federal government used its grant-making power to spur states to incarcerate more people and to impose longer sentences. It should now use that power to reverse course.