Best Four Horsemen
George Sutherland was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1922 to 1938. Born in England and raised in Utah, he previously served as a U.S. Senator. On the Court, he was part of the conservative bloc known as the 'Four Horsemen,' which generally opposed New Deal legislation.
Pierce Butler served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1923 until his death in 1939. A conservative Democrat from Minnesota, he was appointed by President Warren G. Harding and became one of the Four Horsemen, the group of four justices who frequently opposed New Deal l...
Willis Van Devanter was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1911 until 1937. President William Howard Taft appointed him after his service on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. During the New Deal era, Van D...
James Clark McReynolds was an American lawyer and judge who served as the United States attorney general from 1913 to 1914 before joining the Supreme Court. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him an associate justice in 1914, and he served until 1941. During the 1930s, McReynolds formed part of the...
Why this score?
Historically consequential conservative justice, but personal bigotry, obstructionism, and reactionary reputation produce very poor consensus standing.
Scoring methodology
Associate Justice (1914–1941) appointed by Woodrow Wilson, one of the 'Four Horsemen,' notorious for opposing New Deal programs and for hostile treatment of colleagues.
