The “dominant theme” of the court’s recent term is that the bench remains staunchly conservative. Over the last two years, the conservative supermajority has overseen “multiple, rapid” shifts in the law that appear “ideologically driven,” says Thomas Keck, professor of political science.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science, says that the mutiny fallout has put Putin in a position he's neither familiar nor comfortable with—often using his pulpit to blast political enemies, both inside and outside of Moscow. "Now he's applying that very same language to one of his own guys, someone he elevated to a position of power and responsibility," Taylor says.

Through his generosity to Syracuse University, he had a profound impact on the reputation of the Department of Philosophy and advanced the careers of some of the nation’s brightest philosophy scholars. Sutton passed away on May 31, 2023, in his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, at the age of 90.