When we discuss the Court's major rulings, we generally talk about decisions made on the merits, but in recent years, the rulings the Justices have issued through the emergency docket have increasingly had important national policy implications. After Donald Trump's second inauguration, his actions provoked litigation from his opponents and disfavor from the lower federal courts, which frequently blocked or reversed them. When the administration appealed these rulings on an emergency basis, the Supreme Court proved to be remarkably willing to intervene, allowing administration policies to go into effect while they are being challenged in court, often with little or no explanation.