The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States judicial system. This federal court consists of nine justices that use their power to make sure that the executive and legislative branches uphold the constitution.
The duties of the Supreme Court do not stop at keeping the federal government in check. In addition, the Supreme Court’s responsibilities also include keeping the states as well as the people of the United States in line with the Constitution.
The Supreme Court does not see every case that goes through the judicial system; there is a process. For a case to reach the Supreme Court, it needs to go through an appeal process of earlier rulings made on the case.
Some of the most notable cases include Plessy v. Ferguson and Roe v. Wade. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson established racial segregation through the “separate but equal” ideology, whereas Roe v. Wade ruled in favor of protecting privacy.
Although these cases took place in the late 1800s and 1900s, they still hold major significance today. We, as citizens, are unable to alter the original Constitution or interpret all of its meanings. For this reason, we need the Supreme Court to intercede on our behalf and determine what is right and true.
The Supreme Court was established in 1798 through Article Three of the Constitution. This article also allowed for smaller federal courts to be created.
The Judiciary Act of 1789, signed by George Washington, marked the first time Congress used its constitutional authority to choose how the Supreme Court would be constituted. This act asserted that the court would consist of six judges, and they would not be released from their duties until they either died or retired.
The Supreme Court plays an important role in our democracy. The Supreme Court partakes in the crucial process of checks and balances. The Supreme Court “checks” both the legislative and executive branches, ensuring that each power is acting within their right and not infringing on ours.
The Supreme Court also encourages and allows for debates and discussions. This ties into our First Amendment right by protecting dissent. We, the people, need the Supreme Court so that we may openly disagree with and critique laws, thus creating room for social change.
Social Change ties hand-in-hand with the need for the Supreme Court. The Constitution was created hundreds of years ago, and society has drastically changed since then. We need the Supreme Court to help us interpret some of the older meanings and to adjust and rule on cases with a modern day approach.
After reading the article, I learned that each justice gets nominated by the President. I was unsure of how the justices were selected prior to reading. I was also very surprised to learn that the Supreme Court’s first assembly was postponed to the next day. I just thought that was an interesting fact!
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