Restoring Trust: What the Missouri Supreme Court and Andragogy Can Teach the United States Supreme Court

Confidence in the United States Supreme Court has reached an all-time low. Efforts by the Court to restore confidence, such as making a statement concerning ethics and adopting a non-binding code of conduct, seem ineffectual in restoring confidence. Andragogy, the art and science of teaching adults, may prove useful in helping to restore confidence in the Supreme Court. As the Supreme Court educates adults through its decisions, it may utilize and adapt andragogical concepts within the confines of the judicial setting to help restore confidence in its decisions and operations. The Missouri Supreme Court has implemented a number of andragogically-consistent concepts in its operations that help build and maintain trust. The United States Supreme Court can look to the Missouri Supreme Court to rebuild trust in its operations.