The courts
Chief Justice
The head of the Supreme Court and of the federal judiciary. One vote of nine on cases, but control of the conference and of who writes the majority opinion.
In full
The Chief Justice is separately nominated and confirmed to that specific office. Beyond the Court, the role runs the Judicial Conference, which sets policy for the federal courts, and presides over a presidential impeachment trial in the Senate. The assignment power, deciding who writes the opinion when the Chief is in the majority, is the office's quietest and most consequential lever.
Also written as: associate justice
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.