In the simplest terms, the Supreme Court is likely to begin siding more often with those who already have power — and against those who don’t have much. After decades of rising economic inequality and consolidation, it is a profoundly worrisome development.

You’ve probably already read a lot of discussion of Kennedy’s retirement. So I want to use today’s newsletter to cut through the noise and attempt to provide clarity on a few major questions:

Can the Democrats prevent Kennedy’s replacement from being seated before the midterm election?

Almost certainly not.

Democratic senators were right to call on the Republicans to wait to confirm a justice until after this year’s elections, given the Republicans’ unprecedented refusal to let President Barack Obama fill a court opening in 2016. But Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, has already made clear that he will ignore the Democrats. And a majority of senators can do just about anything it wants in the chamber. The Republicans currently have 51 of the 100 seats, as well as a tiebreaking vote, when needed, from the vice president.

Richard Hasen, writing in Slate, suggests that liberals have one hope, slim though it may be: Huge public protests to put pressure on Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — two moderate, pro-choice Republican senators — not to confirm a nominee who threatens abortion rights.

Which issues are most likely to be affected in the near future?

All signs suggest that President Trump will choose a nominee significantly more conservative than Kennedy. In that case, the new justice could provide the deciding vote in rulings that:

- restrict the Environmental Protection Agency from fighting climate change

- allow states to outlaw abortion

- ban race-based affirmative action

- uphold capital punishment and solitary confinement

- limit consumers’ digital privacy rights

- aggravate partisan gerrymandering

- allow states to outlaw same-sex marriage