They were odd outfits.

The young people wore typical business attire of bland shirts and chinos, but paired with

bright fluorescent running shoes.

At the Supreme Court, news interns had to be prepared to sprint.

Recording devices aren't allowed in America's highest court, so getting landmark rulings

on air as quickly as possible often came down to a test of speed and agility.

Inside the building, just as a justice began reading a decision, interns were handed

printed copies.

They sprinted them across the plaza of the Supreme Court to deliver them to anchors

waiting on the marble steps.

For big decisions, whoever ran fastest could break it first.

It was christened the running of the interns.

Since the pandemic, opinions have instead been released online.

The interns can hang up their sneakers.

Yet health precautions have also prompted the court to live stream arguments for the

first time, and it's kept the stream even as the courtroom has reopened to the public.

The Supreme Court is therefore more accessible than ever, even as the majority of Americans

say it is out of touch.

But as the court democratises a bit, it's turning its focus towards the structure of

democracy.

I'm John Prado and this is Chex and Balance from the Economist.

Each week we take one big theme, shaping American politics, and explore it in depth.

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