Forget abortion: Where does Sotomayor stand on the economy?

If Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, is approved, she may be in a position to help determine the economy's path for the next few decades. While her placement on the court's "liberal wing" would not be a political game changer, her impact on the economic game could be far more unpredictable.

The Supreme Court's most famous decisions have usually revolved around sweeping political and social issues like abortion, civil rights and libel. However, it is worth remembering that the New Deal was the primary point of contention between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Hughes court. FDR expended a lot of energy attempting to pack the court with justices who were more amenable to his plans, backing down only when the court began to uphold some of his economic moves.